Kindred Souls
by Allen the Musician
Summary: The Millennium Earl must be stopped at all costs and not even death its self will keep Allen from his mission. But how do you fight Akuma from the other side of the grave? Enter Toushirou Hitsugaya, a strange youth who appears and agrees to help.
1. End of Life

Disclaimer - I do not own -Man or Bleach and I'm definately not making any money from this. Just having some fun.

A/N - as advertised this is a DGrayMan/Bleach crossover and I feel the need to state that it is AU and that I changed the Bleach Captains around a bit. This is pre-Bleach timeline however Ukitake is Head Captain and Urahara is still the captain of Squad Twelve. Other things may prove to be different later on.

Chapter One - End of Life

Exorcist Allen Walker was traveling through western Europe, on a mission for the Black Order, when he encountered yet another band of Akuma. This was one of the largest groups that he had ever encountered and Allen's left eye glowed a bright red as he prepared to fight the weapons that held human souls hostage.

This was an unfortunate turn of events for the young white-haired Exorcist however Allen was determined to fight. He absolutely refused to run however he couldn't help but think that things would be a whole lot easier if he had some help. Lavi would be a great asset or even Kanda would be welcome for that matter.

But he was all alone.

"Innocence activate!"

Allen's left arm transformed into his large, Anti-Akuma weapon and he set about disposing of the Akuma who were attempting to take his life. The young Exorcist killed several of the attacking Akuma however he paused in his attacks as he felt a flesh searing pain in his right side.

"I've got you!" the Akuma that had struck growled in triumph. "And now. . ."

Forcing the pain back into the dark recesses of his mind Allen struck out with his weapon and killed the Akuma with one strike. Unfortunately it didn't even make a dent in their numbers and Allen was now losing blood at an alarming pace.

"Timcanpy!"

The little golden golem flew to his side and Allen turned to his friend, left in his possession by his master, General Cross Marian. "Fly back to the Inn and get the others. Tell them that I could sure use some help."

Timcanpy immediately flew off to deliver the message to the other Exorcists who were staying at an Inn in the town that Allen had just left. He had met up with Lenalee, Lavi and Kanda at the small town and they had stayed together at the small Inn however they were all on different assignments which was why he was now battling the massive group of Akuma on his own.

"I really hope that they haven't left yet," Allen muttered as he once again turned his attention to his opponents.

__________________________________________________________________________________

"So Yu," Lavi said as the remaining three Exorcists prepared to leave the Inn to go their separate ways. "Do you think you could try to be in a better mood when we see you back at Headquarters?"

The sword wielding Exorcist whirled around to face the red haired menace, his eyes practically burning with anger. "I told you not to call me by that name. And I'll be in a great mood as long as I'm not anywhere near you."

"You guys," Lenalee called out in a reproachful tone. Honestly she was tired of listening to the two of them fighting and was more than ready to go off on her own mission. Thank goodness that for once it hadn't been a group assignment that had brought them together, merely a coincidence.

Lenalee took a couple of steps toward the dirt road however she drew up short as she spotted a glimmer of gold traveling toward her. "Timcanpy?" There was a surprised tone in the young woman's voice as the little golem flew toward her.

Timcanpy came to a stop in front of Lenalee and hovered in the air. Lenalee stared in confusion as the golem opened it's mouth however the confusion disappeared immediately as Timcanpy projected an image of Allen battling a large group of Akuma.

"Kanda! Lavi!"

The two men turned toward the sound of Lenalee's frantic call and she motioned for them to follow her. "Allen's fighting a group of Akuma and I think he really needs our help."

And without waiting for the two of them Lenalee began running down the dirt road, following behind Timcanpy. After a brief pause Kanda and Lavi gave chase and together the three of them ran to the location of the battle. When they arrived a horror scene met their gaze.

The bodies of Akuma lay scattered everywhere, along with a bleeding and seemingly unconscious Allen. Still more Akuma surrounded the area and it was obvious that Allen hadn't been down for very long since he was still breathing and hadn't been finished off by the Akuma.

Kanda quickly drew his sword and together he and Lavi killed the remaining Akuma while Lenalee ran to Allen. Falling to her knees at the young boy's side Lenalee gently pulled his upper body into her lap and ran her hand through his white hair as she called out, "Allen! Can you hear me?"

Allen struggled for a moment but finally managed to open his eyes and as his vision cleared he saw that Lenalee was leaning over him, with Timcanpy floating at her side. "Lena. . . lee. . ."

"Shh," Lenalee soothed. "Don't try to talk Allen."

"But the Akuma. . ." Suddenly remembering that he was in the middle of a battle the young Exorcist attempted to sit up however he was rewarded with severe pain. Allen hissed and ceased his attempts to rise.

"It's alright," Lenalee said, attempting to keep her friend from moving and further injuring himself. "Kanda and Lavi are taking care of the Akuma."

Allen was somewhat releaved by this fact and he relaxed to a small degree. He could hear the sounds of the battle that was being fought and he hoped that Lavi and Kanda could manage to destroy the remaining Akuma without getting hurt.

Feeling a sudden flash of pain Allen began coughing and reflexively covered his mouth with his hand. When finally the coughs subsided the young Exorcist moved his hand and was shocked to find that his palm was covered with blood. The metallic taste of the blood lingered in his mouth and Allen was forced to fight the urge to gag. His injuries appeared to be more serious than he had previously thought.

Lenalee's eyes widened as she caught sight of the blood that coated Allen's palm and she quickly turned her attention to the two Exorcists who were battling a few feet away. "Hurry up guys! He's really hurt and I'm worried."

Shouting in anger Lavi waved his huge hammer, taking out three Akuma with one blow. Kanda also increased the ferocity of his attacks and within minutes the remaining Akuma had been defeated. Without a second thought about his minor injuries Lavi rushed over to the spot where Lenalee was kneeling, Allen's head resting in her lap.

From the level of blood loss it was obvious that Allen's injuries were very serious and Lavi knelt by his friend's side and turned his questioning gaze to Lenalee. "Is there a hospital nearby?"

Lenalee shook her head, a concerned expression on her face. "Not close enough. But there was a doctor in the village that we just left. We'll take him there."

Lavi nodded and gently picked up his barely conscious friend. The movement further aggravated Allen's injuries and the boy issued a blood curdling scream before going completely limp in Lavi's arms. "I'm sorry," Lavi apologized as he got to his feet.

Briefly glancing at the blood that coated her lap where Allen had been laying Lenalee got to her feet and fell into step behind Lavi. They didn't have any time to waste; Allen's injuries were grave and he needed immediate medical attention.

The group of Exorcists quickly made their way back to the town that they had just left and once there they located the office of the village's only doctor. Rushing forward Lenalee knocked frantically on the door, desperate to get some help for her friend.

"What is it?" The door opened and a middle aged man with black hair and a black mustache stuck his head out. His demeanor changed as his gaze fell upon the injured boy that Lavi carried and he immediately stepped aside and ushered them into the building.

"Come with me, quickly."

Wasting no time Lavi and his friends immediately obeyed the orders. The doctor led the way down a small corridor and into a moderately sized room at the end. There was a bed in the center of the room and the man motioned toward it.

Stepping forward Lavi placed Allen on the bed and then stepped aside so that the doctor could work. "If you could wait outside."

Lenalee didn't want to leave Allen alone when he was in such bad shape however she left without protest when Lavi placed his arm around her shoulder and led her gently from the room. The group made their way to a small sitting room that they had passed on their way to the treatment room but while Lenalee and Lavi stepped inside Kanda made his way toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Lenalee asked, noticing that Kanda seemed to be going his seperate way.

"I'm going to alert headquarters that short stack managed to get himself injured," the man replied gruffly.

Lenalee made a move to step toward Kanda however she was brought up short by a restraining hand on her shoulder. Glancing over her shoulder the young woman saw Lavi shake his head ever so slightly. "Let him go Lenalee. He's just upset over what happened to Allen."

"Right," Lenalee murmured, turning and making her way over to a sofa that was positioned against the far wall. Sitting down all Lenalee could do was stare at her hands and think back to the moment that she had came upon the injured Allen.

There had been so many Akuma.

It was a miracle that he was even still alive. It was true that his injuries were severe however the white haired youth had been injured before and he had always recovered. This time wouldn't be any different. Would it? Lenalee shook her head, banishing such thoughts.

Allen would be fine.

Time seemed to pass by excruciatingly slowly as the members of the Black Order awaited news of their friend's condition. All they could do was sit around and stare at the walls, hoping that the doctor would be able to help the young man and that Allen could recover from his tremendous injuries.

Not a word was exchanged, not even when Kanda returned from sending his message to the Order, however all eyes focused on the door as the doctor stepped inside the room. The middle aged man seemed to have aged another decade in the hours that had passed since their arrival and there was a sad expression in his green eyes as he gazed at the group of Exorcists.

"I'm sorry. . ." he began after clearing his throat.

Not wanting to hear what he had to say, nor believe that it was true, Lenalee jumped to her feet and quickly fled the room. The young woman raced down the hall to the room where they had left Allen alive only hours before and when she arrived she thrust the door open and stepped inside.

The bed was still occupied however now the form that lay upon it was covered by a white sheet.

"Allen," Lenalee choked out as she walked over to the bed. "No."

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Weird," Allen muttered to himself as he walked along the dirt road. He had no idea how he had arrived at this place. The last thing he remembered was lying in Lenalee's lap after the battle with the Akuma. Now he was walking down a lonely road with absolutely no signs of the injuries that had been inflicted upon him by the Akuma.

And what was more confusing was the length of chain that now hung from his chest.

TBC. . .

A/N - and this is the first chapter of my D-Gray-Man/Bleach crossover. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Is this story worth continueing? Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	2. Beginning of Death

Disclaimer - I own neither -Man nor Bleach

A/N - thanx so much for all of the reviews, favorites and alerts. I appreciate all of you and just wanted to let you know. And this chapter is dedicated to hana no toshiro because she was the first one to review this fic. Now, on to chapter two! Enjoy!

Chapter Two - Beginning of Death

"Captain Hitsugaya," Head Captain Ukitake called out as he crossed the courtyard toward the spot where the young prodigy was standing underneath a weeping willow tree. He was thankful that he had managed to catch Hitsugaya before the white haired youth retired for the night.

"What is it Ukitake?" Hitsugaya asked as his teal eyed gaze shifted toward his superior.

"I need for you to travel to the world of the living and perform Konso on a newly departed soul," Ukitake explained. "And you can't waste any time because we cannot afford for this particular soul to be turned into a Hollow."

"Konso?" Hitsugaya repeated, convinced that he hadn't heard his superior correctly. Surely performing a simple Konso wasn't a job for a captain class Shinigami.

Ukitake knew that the young captain would feel this way however he had his reasons for sending Hitsugaya. "You're the perfect person for the job Captain Hitsugaya, I assure you."

"Fine," Hitsugaya muttered, knowing that he was defeated. He would have to travel to the world of the living and perform the Konso however he hadn't been ordered to be happy about the order. Not that it would be likely to happen even if he'd been issued such an order.

"Thanks," Ukitake said, offering the young captain a broad smile. "Make sure that you keep an eye on him."

"Right," Hitsugaya muttered.

"Cheer up Toushirou," Ukitake said with a wide grin, reaching into the sleeve of his haori.

_"Oh no,"_Hitsugaya thought to himself, knowing exactly what was coming and wanting desperately to avoid it. He made a move to leave however he wasn't fast enough and he soon found his arms filled to overflowing with sweets.

"And there's more where that came from," Ukitake called out over his shoulder as he walked away from his young subordinate. "We'll have to get together once your mission is complete."

"The hell I will," Hitsugaya muttered as he left the office. He would have to find somewhere to dump the 'gifts' that Ukitake had given to him before he traveled to the world of the living. Not that it would be all that hard. He was probably the only one around who didn't like sweets so it more than likely wouldn't be hard to pawn them off on someone. Actually he could probably just leave it in the office for Matsumoto.

It might serve to keep her there for awhile.

* * *

Allen was still confused about what had happened. First he was injured in a battle with the Akuma and now he was wandering down a deserted road, completely free of the injuries that he had sustained during the battle. And what was more, on top of everything else, now he was sporting a length of chain hanging from his chest. And no matter how much he pulled on the chain it refused to come off. This fact only made Allen want to pull harder and he yanked on the chain with all of the strength that he possessed and still it would not budge. The boy's eyes narrowed as he gazed down at it and, pulling it this way and that in an attempt to loosen it's hold, he exclaimed, "Why won't you come off?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a strange voice called out, interrupting the young Exorcist's rant.

Allen instantly dropped the chain and whirled to face a young boy. This child was even shorter than he himself and his hair was also the pure white of newly fallen snow. He was wearing a strange outfit which consisted of baggy black pants, a black kimono-like top and a white coat trimmed with black diamonds and dots. The boy was gazing at him with a strange look in his teal eyes and Allen's eyes widened in surprise as he took a step back, away from the strange new arrival. "Who are you?" He normally would have had better manners however he was still slightly freaked out by his current situation and being polite wasn't high up on his list of priorities at this point.

Hitsugaya groaned as he took a couple of steps toward the boy, pulling Hyourinmaru from it's sheath as he did so. _"I don't have time for this," _he thought to himself as he held up his blade.

Seeing the long sword that the strange boy was holding in his hands Allen's eyes widened in fear and he turned and made an attempt to make a run for it. He had no idea what was going on however he had no desire to hang around and get hacked into pieces. He wasn't curious enough about the situation to stick around and die for it. He'd rather be confused and alive thus he was all for fleeing for his life.

This was horribly similar to the experience he'd had when first arriving at the Black Order and brought up memories that he'd made every attempt to banish.

"No!" Allen screamed as he fled, holding his hands up over his head. "I don't wanna die!"

"Stop!"

The commanding tone in the other boy's voice served to bring Allen to a stop and he warily turned back to face the new arrival. Seeing this as his opportunity Hitsugaya used his flash-step to approach the soul and, caught off guard, all Allen could do was stare as the stranger pressed the hilt of his sword against his forehead.

Allen completely freaked out as he began to glow.

"What did you do to me?" Allen demanded, his eyes wide and accusing. "Did you kill me?"

"Calm down," Hitsugaya snapped, annoyed by his companion's uncalled for outburst. "It's called Konso and it's used to send souls to Soul Society."

"What?"

"I'll explain when we get there," Hitsugaya muttered, knowing that he would have to accompany the boy to Soul Society and make sure that nothing happened to him when he arrived. Head Captain Ukitake wanted him to keep an eye on this strange soul and as much as he wanted to the young captain knew that he couldn't disobey a direct order.

And he REALLY wanted to. Probably had never wanted to more in his life as a matter of fact.

Allen had no idea where 'there' was however it didn't appear that he had any choice as to whether or not he went. When his body ceased with its strange glowing he was standing in a dense forest, apparently nowhere near the lonely road that he had been walking down mere seconds before. Turning he saw that the white haired youth with the sword was still standing behind him.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded, his hands clenched into fists.

"I sent your soul to the Soul Society through Konso," Hitsugaya replied calmly, completely unphased by the outburst of the white haired Whole. He didn't know why Ukitake had ordered him to escort this guy to Soul Society however thankfully the mission was nearly complete.

"Sent my soul?" Allen repeated, confused by the other boy's words.

Hitsugaya nodded. "I didn't kill you. You were already dead when I found you."

Allen gasped as the meaning of the boy's words sank in and flashes of memory returned to him. Surrounded by Akuma and fighting for his life. And if his new companion's words were to be believed he didn't win that fight. Was it true? Had he really been killed by the Akuma? "Are you serious kid?"

"I'm not a kid," Hitsugaya snapped, an anger mark appearing on the side of his forehead. "I'm the Captain of Squad Ten of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Toushirou Hitsugaya."

"Captain?" Allen repeated, even more confused than he had been before. Was this strange youth a member of some military organization? And could they possibly somehow be connected to the Black Order? "Are you an Exorcist?"

It was Hitsugaya's turn to look confused. "Exorcist?"

Allen nodded. "Do you fight Akuma?"

"No," Hitsugaya said shortly. He didn't even know what an Akuma was and he didn't really have the time to listen to this strange guy rambling on. "I'm a Shinigami and I am charged with purifying the souls of Hollow."

"Hollow?"

Hitsugaya nodded.

Allen was still confused but decided not to pursue the topic of Hollow. There was something more pressing that he wanted to discuss with this strange youth. "If I died as you said then shouldn't my soul have emerged near my body? When my awareness came back I was walking along that accursed stretch of road."

"It's not uncommon for souls to block out the memory of seeing their corpse," Hitsugaya explained in a quiet voice. "After all that's a rather traumatic experience since most souls don't realize that they're dead until a Shinigami sends them to the Soul Society. That's more than likely what happened to you."

"Oh."

"Now come with me," the young captain ordered. "Head Captain Ukitake wishes to have a word with you."

Allen's first impulse was to refuse to follow the so called Shinigami however he quickly decided against that course of action. After all he had absolutely no idea where he was currently and didn't relish the idea of wandering around on his own. So instead of running away, even though this was what every instinct inside of him was telling him to do, Allen fell into step behind Hitsugaya. He had no idea where he was being taken however he had decided to trust the boy, at least for the time being.

Anxious for this deplorable assignment to be completed Hitsugaya quickly led the way to the Squad One barracks, more than ready to deliver this guy to Head Captain Ukitake and then have done with him. The young prodigy still couldn't believe that Ukitake had sent him out to perform a simple Konso.

It made absolutely no sense.

When the two white haired youths arrived at the Squad One barracks Captain Hitsugaya knocked lightly on the door and then stepped back, almost stepping on Allen who was following closely behind him. Allen yelped and jumped back however the young captain chose to ignore him. It was his own fault for walking too close after all so why should he feel any sympathy?

"Enter," a voice called out from within.

Obeying the summons Hitsugaya slid the door open and stepped inside the office. Then he paused briefly, reached back and grabbed Allen by his collar, pulling him into the room forcefully. Allen yelped once again however he ceased his complaints as his searching gaze fell upon yet another white haired person. This man was older and had a kind look about him.

"Welcome Allen Walker," Head Captain Ukitake called out, offering the young Exorcist a welcoming smile.

"Hello," Allen said as he made his way over to the desk behind which the white haired man sat. "Excuse me sir but how is it that you know my name?"

"I have my ways," Ukitake said cryptically, then chuckled softly to himself. "I suppose you're wondering why it is that you were brought here?"

Allen nodded and even Hitsugaya looked interested although he was trying his best to hide that fact.

"Our research department has gotten wind of a threat in the world of the living," Ukitake explained. "Machines that possess the souls of humans and are used for slaughter. I believe that you would call them Akuma."

Allen nodded while Hitsugaya looked confused. The young captain remembered the boy named Allen asking him if he fought against Akuma and he was intrigued by the fact that Ukitake knew about them.

"I am aware that you and your fellows are trained to combat these Akuma," Head Captain Ukitake said, his tone serious. "And due to your untimely death I would like to offer you our assistance. I realize that you are important to the battle and I would like to help you return to it."

Now Allen was confused and Hitsugaya more so.

"I cannot return you to life," Ukitake said sadly. "However what I can do is provide you with a special gigai that will allow you to continue your battle."

"But what about the Innocence?" Allen asked, his eyes wide as he gazed down at his left hand. "I don't even know if my anti-Akuma weapon will still work since I died."

"I can't promise that it will work," a new voice said, unexpectedly joining the conversation. "However after some experimentation on the matter I am fairly certain that it will.

"Ah Kisuke," Ukitake said, inclining his head in the direction of the Squad Twelve Captain. "Welcome." The Head Captain gestured toward the young Exorcist. "This is Allen Walker, the boy that we discussed. And Allen this is Kisuke Urahara, Captain of Squad Twelve and the head of the research and development department. He's been studying another Exorcist who was killed by the Akuma and we believe that you can still fight. And Kisuke can even design a gigai that will enable your Innocence to function as normal."

Allen's eyes lit up. "That's great. Thank you all very much."

"And Captain Hitsugaya," Ukitake said, turning his attention back to the other white haired youth. "You're going to go with Allen and help him with the fight."

"But. . ." the Squad Ten Captain began however Urahara interrupted.

"If the two of you will come with me I'll set Allen-kun up with his gigai and together we can explain the whole situation to Toushirou-kun."

And without waiting for a reply or protest from either boy Urahara turned and left the office. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, slightly irritated over the fact that Urahara, who was the same rank as he was, was giving him orders and then just expecting him to follow. He was about to turn and go the other way when he caught the look that Ukitake was giving him. This made him change his mind about ditching the Squad Twelve Captain but it didn't make him any less irritated over the situation.

For Allen's part he was somewhat reluctant to follow this stranger. The one thing that had stood out in his mind was the whole Research and Developement part of the introduction and he found himself having horrible flashbacks from his first meeting with Komui. "No!" he thought to himself as he watched Urahara and Hitsugaya leaving. "I don't wanna go through that again."

"It's okay," Ukitake said in a kind voice. "It really is safe to go with him. I promise that he won't hurt you."

Deciding to trust the kind looking man's word Allen nodded and then jogged to catch up with the others.

Ukitake sighed as he watched the group leave.

This fight would not be an easy one and it was way outside of what Shinigami normally did however humanity was doomed without their help and Allen Walker was an integral part of the fight that they had just became involved in. Urahara had been conducting research on the Exorcists for quite some time and had informed Ukitake the moment that Allen Walker had died that they had to find a way to put him back in the fight. How things would play out from this moment forth remained to be seen.

"But why did Urahara insist that Toushirou be sent along to protect Allen?"

TBC. . .

A/N - and there's chapter two and the Shinigami are now teamed up with an Exorcist to fight against the Millennium Earl. Hope you enjoyed, please review and tell me what you thought. And if you have any suggestions feel free to tell me. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	3. New Fight, Old Fight

Disclaimer - I do not own DGrayMan or Bleach

A/N - thanx to everyone who reviewed last chapter. This chapter is dedicated to Sazerac, who was the first one to review the last chapter and was kind enough to offer some advice. Hope you guys enjoy.

Chapter Three - New Fight, Old Fight

"Tell me more about these Akuma," Hitsugaya said as he and Allen made their way to the Squad Ten barracks. The two white haired youths were returning from Squad Twelve where they had been briefed on the situation by Urahara and Allen had been issued his gigai and now they were on their way to Hitsugaya's squad so that they could prepare for their mission.

"Well," Allen said, still attempting to come to grips with the fact that he was actually dead and still planning to continue the fight with the Millennium Earl and the Akuma. "When someone you love passes away the anguish in your heart attracts the Millennium Earl, who then offers to bring back the soul of your loved one. A black metal skeleton appears and when you call out the name of your loved one their soul is trapped within it. After that they are in the control of the Millennium Earl and have no free will. They turn into weapons for him to use in his battle against humanity."

Hitsugaya listened intently as Allen explained about the Akuma and as the taller youth spoke the young captain noticed that his fingers went absently to his left eye. The left side of his face bore a strange scar, which started with a pentacle above his eye and traced a line down to his cheek, going almost to his chin. It wasn't a straight line and it was intersected just below his eye by another slash going horizontally.

Allen noticed that the young Shinigami captain was eyeing his scar and he forced himself to smile. "I turned my foster father Mana into an Akuma when I was young which is how I got this scar. He also left me with a curse so that now I can see the souls that are trapped inside the Akuma."

Slightly embarrassed over the fact that he had called attention to something that was obviously a painful subject to the taller boy Hitsugaya shifted his gaze. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Allen said, offering his scowling young companion a smile. "So what are we going to do now?"

"We're going to stop by my office so that I can relinquish command of my squad to my second in command and then we're going back to the world of the living," Hitsugaya replied. While this youth had been speaking to Urahara about his gigai, Head Captain Ukitake had came to Squad Twelve and had explained a few more things about the mission.

Hitsugaya wasn't overly thrilled about being saddled with this strange youth from the world of the living however in order to maintain the balance in the world of the living he was going to have to push aside those feelings and work together with Allen. Not that he thought there was really much he could do. According to both Allen and Captain Urahara you had to have an anti-Akuma weapon that possessed a material called Innocence in order to battle the Akuma effectively which pretty much put him out of the running.

He had his zanpaktou Hyourinmaru of course, which was excellent for battling against the Hollow that he, like all Shinigami, fought however he didn't know how useful it would be against these Akuma. He had expressed these concerns to Ukitake however the Head Captain had merely shrugged off his words and told him that his job would be to protect Allen while he fought against the Akuma.

That is if his new gigai allowed him to control the Innocence and use his anti-Akuma weapon.

Everyone was concerned about this however they were proceeding ahead with the mission. There was really only one way to test it and that involved Allen and Hitsugaya going up against a real Akuma. Hopefully Urahara's design would work and if not. . .

Well there was always reincarnation.

When the two white haired youths arrived at the Squad Ten office Hitsugaya slid the door open, hoping as he did so that his vice-captain was actually in the office for once. And on this particular day luck was on his side. The voluptuous blond woman was seated on the sofa, idly flipping through a magazine. This sight annoyed Hitsugaya somewhat however in retrospect he figured that he should be grateful that she was even in the office at all. After all it would have been much more difficult to track her down had she been off somewhere else.

"Captain."

Matsumoto's gaze shifted toward the door as she heard her superior officer enter and her eyes lit up as she noticed that Hitsugaya wasn't alone. "So who's your friend Captain?" As she asked this question Matsumoto got to her feet and walked over to the spot where Allen was standing, eyeing him up and down with an appraising sort of gaze. "So cute!" she exclaimed, grabbing Allen and pulling him toward her. "You have to tell me who this adorable young man is Captain? I'm so happy that you made a friend!"

"He's not my friend," Hitsugaya snapped, glaring at his second in command through narrowed eyes. There were mumbled complaints as Allen fought to extricate himself from Matsumoto's 'assets' however the young captain completely ignored his companion's situation. He knew that he was supposed to guard Allen but it wasn't as though his life was in danger or anything. Okay so there was the possibility of suffocation however Matsumoto normally relinquished her hold before her victim succumbed to lack of oxygen. Hitsugaya knew this from first hand experience and he actually cringed as unwanted memories assaulted him. "Matsumoto I've been assigned a mission in the world of the living and I need for you to take care of things here."

"NO!" Matsumoto exclaimed, sounding as though her heart were breaking. She released her grip on the young Exorcist and Allen quickly distanced himself from the woman, a crimson blush coloring his face. The blush disappeared, replaced by a look of concern, as he listened to her howls of protest. She actually sounded as though the words of Hitsugaya caused her physical pain.

"Deal with it Matsumoto," Hitsugaya snapped, not even a trace of sympathy in his voice. And with these words the young prodigy turned and began walking away. A few seconds passed before Allen realized that he should probably be following the strange youth and he ran to catch up.

"W. . . wait for me!" he called out.

Hitsugaya wanted to say keep up or get left behind however this guy was important to the battle that Soul Society had undertaken and the young captain knew that, like it or not, they needed his help if they were going to protect the living from the Millennium Earl and his Akuma.

"Is she going to be okay?" Allen asked once he had caught up with the Shinigami Captain. It was obvious that he was concerned about the woman that they had just left behind.

"She'll be fine," Hitsugaya replied, not even slowing his stride. The sooner they got to the world of the living the sooner they could try out Allen's new gigai and find out if he could still use his anti-Akuma weapon. It was imperative that they find out one way or the other. If it worked then they could go on with the mission and if it didn't. . .

Well assuming they survived in that scenario they would have to get Urahara to fix it.

When the two youths arrived at the Senkaimon that would take them to the world of the living Hitsugaya stretched out a hand to activate the portal while Allen merely stared at it in awe. "So is this how we're going to return to my world?"

"It's not your world any longer," Hitsugaya told his companion as the Senkaimon opened. "You are no longer among the living and are only being sent back so that the Akuma won't destroy the humans. Apparently you're important to this war. However when this battle is over then you will return here to Soul Society."

Allen was silent as he thought about Hitsugaya's words. It wasn't his world any more. He was no longer among the living. That may be true however those were still his friends and he still had a vow to uphold so he would continue the fight the Akuma. The young man gazed down at his left hand, which looked the same as it always had. Hopefully this was a sign that he would still be able to use his Innocence.

_"I hope it works,"_ he thought to himself.

Together the two youths traveled through the Senkaimon, arriving in the world of the living near the location where Hitsugaya had first discovered Allen's soul. The taller of the two boys gazed around, searching for any sign of Akuma and secretly any signs of his friends. They must be aware of his death at this point and he didn't want to freak them out, or worse have them accuse him of being an Akuma, however he did want to make sure that they were okay.

"Someone's coming," Hitsugaya muttered.

All thoughts of his friends vanished as Allen's gaze focused on a young woman walking toward them and as she grew near Allen's left eye turned red, a sure sign that this woman was in fact an Akuma. So he still bore the curse, even in death.

"Toushirou," Allen said, his gaze never leaving the woman. "She isn't human. This woman is an Akuma. I can see the soul that's trapped within."

"So can I."

Hitsugaya could plainly see that the soul of another young woman was coming out of the host body, held in place by chains positioned around it's neck. The captive soul's mouth was open as though forming a silent scream and Hitsugaya found that he was appalled by the sight.

Sighing to himself Hitsugaya pulled a small, dragon headed device from the folds of his shihakusho and pressed down on it's head. The dragon opened it's mouth and a little green ball popped out into the young captain's hand. Wasting no time Hitsugaya popped it into his mouth and quickly emerged from his gigai, ready for battle. Pulling Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he always wore secured across his back he prepared to protect Allen should his attempts to destroy the Akuma fail. He didn't know if he could fight the thing however he knew that if the battle turned in the beast's favor he would have to try. It was his duty to protect Allen and he would do so.

Even at the cost of his own life.

Knowing that this was the moment of truth Allen held out his left arm and called out, "Innocence Activate!"

A few seconds passed, during which Allen found it difficult to breathe, and then he felt something. However, instead of the transformation that his arm usually underwent, something completely different happened. His arm was engulfed by a blinding light and a sword formed in his hand but it didn't feel like any ordinary sword. It actually felt as though it were an extension of his arm.

"Unreal," Hitsugaya muttered as he watched the scene that was unfolding before him. Was that a zanpaktou that had just appeared in Allen's hand or was it something completely different?

Hoping that this sword would serve the purpose that his left arm usually did Allen fearlessly leapt toward the Akuma. The blade was instantly engulfed in a glowing green light and it easily sliced through the Akuma's armor like skin. A small smile appeared on Allen's face as he watched the bound soul break free from the chains that had been holding it captive.

The soul was now free.

"It worked," Allen called out, quickly turning to Hitsugaya.

Allen gasped as he saw that he and his companion were now completely surrounded by a large group of Akuma. This wasn't good and it was eerily similar to the scene that had cost Allen his life earlier that day. Would it turn out any different this time?

Could he win a fight against so many when already he had failed once?

Victory was far from a certainty however Allen knew that he had to at least give it a try. There was no point in simply laying down his sword and dying by their hands. The young man was determined that if he was going to die again then it would be fighting.

Swinging his newly acquired sword with as much grace as he could since he had never handled a blade before in his life Allen slashed the Akuma nearest to him. It issued a blood curdling scream as it died and, howling in anger, the others attacked.

"Watch out Toushirou!" Allen screamed out as he watched one of the Akuma launch its self toward the young captain.

With reflexes honed from years of practice and battle experience Hitsugaya easily dodged the Akuma's clumsy attack and, once he had succeeded in getting behind the creature, he reflexively swung Hyourinmaru. As soon as it made contact with the Akuma the blade of the zanpaktou began to glow a bright blue and, in a flash of light, the Akuma exploded.

Hitsugaya gasped as he gazed down at his now glowing zanpaktou. "What the hell?" he muttered to himself. This had never happened before and he had no idea what had brought about this strange transformation in Hyourinmaru. Unfortunately his thoughts on the subject would have to wait because they were still surrounded by Akuma and, putting his confusion aside, Hitsugaya jumped forward and attacked.

Knowing that it would more than likely require both of them to defeat this large group of Akuma, Allen held his new sword aloft and jumped into the fray.

TBC. . .

A/N - and there's chapter three. It seems that Allen's anti-Akuma weapon still works and now something freaky is happening with Hyourinmaru. Stay tuned for more and please leave a review and tell me what you think. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	4. Shinigami Innocence

Disclaimer - I own neither DGrayMan nor Bleach

This chapter is dedicated to KnowledgeandImagination who was the first to review chapter three!

Chapter Four - Shinigami Innocence

The remains of the defeated Akuma lay scattered throughout the meadow where Hitsugaya and Allen had arrived in the world of the living and, once all of the enemies had been defeated, the taller of the two youths turned to the other, a confused expression in his gray eyes. "What the heck just happened? First you could see the soul that was trapped within the Akuma and then you were able to destroy them with ease."

Hitsugaya's teal eyes shifted to the blade of Hyourinmaru, which was still glowing an eerie blue color. "I can more than likely see the soul because I'm a Shinigami and therefore in soul form myself however as for my sword I have no idea. Hyourinmaru's never done this before."

"You must be an Accommodator."

"I'm a what?" Hitsugaya arched one eyebrow as he stared at his companion. The more time that the young captain spent with Allen the stranger the other youth seemed to become.

"An Accommodator of Innocence," Allen repeated, his gaze locked on to the blade of Hitsugaya's zanpaktou. "In short you're one of the chosen and a candidate to become an Exorcist. Way to go Toushirou, this means that you can fight too."

Hitsugaya clenched his free hand into a fist, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at Allen. "Okay let's get one thing straight. It's Hitsugaya, not Toushirou."

Allen's thoughts shifted to another sword wielding man who didn't like to be addressed by his first name and he had to hide the smile that appeared on his face behind one hand. "Sorry. I'll try to keep that in mind." He gazed around at the remains of the Akuma for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression on his face. "So what do we do now?"

"We search for more of those things," Hitsugaya replied as he sheathed his sword in one fluid motion. The light dissipated as the blade entered the sheath and the young captain turned to Allen. "Is there any way to track these things?"

Allen shook his head. "Unfortunately not. I'm sorry."

"It can't be helped," Hitsugaya said in a gruff voice as he once again merged with his artificial body. "We'll just have to travel around and destroy them as they appear."

Allen nodded, gazing at his companion with a look of admiration in his gray eyes. "Well at least you can see the souls trapped inside them as well. That will definitely make things easier since both of us will be able to tell who is human and who is an Akuma."

"Hmm," Hitsugaya said, a thoughtful expression in his teal eyes. Hitsugaya was more than ready to battle more Akuma since the sooner they destroyed all of them then the sooner he could return to Soul Society however he decided that he should send some intel back to the Seireitei before he and Allen proceeded any further with their mission. The young captain pulled a small device from the fold of his shihakusho and hastily punched a series of buttons.

While the young prodigy was sending his message Allen gazed at him in confusion. He had never seen a device like the one that Hitsugaya was using and he was intrigued. "What are you doing Toushirou?"

"Hitsugaya," the young captain snapped as he continued to push buttons. "And I'm sending a message to Soul Society, explaining what happened here. Perhaps Captain Urahara can shed some light on the subject. At the very least they need to know what happened."

"Right," Allen said, making a mental note not to call his companion by his first name. Much like Kanda, the Shinigami captain didn't like it.

Once Hitsugaya completed his message to Soul Society he and Allen began to walk along the lonely stretch of road. The two youths remained silent as they searched for Akuma however Allen let out a surprised gasp as a blur of gold flew toward him.

"What the hell?" Hitsugaya exclaimed, quickly using his Gikongan to once again emerge from his gigai and partially pulling Hyourinmaru from the sheath.

"Wait!" Allen screamed, afraid that his companion was going to cut the little golden golem in half. The little winged creature landed on Allen's head and the Exorcist raised a hand to touch him and make sure that he was real and not a figment of his imagination. "Is it really you Tim?"

As though in answer to the boy's question Timcanpy swatted him in the head with one of his little golden wings.

"Okay," Allen said with a laugh. "It really is you."

"Okay," Hitsugaya said, his gaze focused on the strange little creature that was now resting on Allen's head. "What the hell is going on? What is that thing?"

"This is Timcanpy," Allen replied, choosing to ignore Hitsugaya's foul mood. "He's a golem. The Black Order uses them to send messages back and forth and this one belongs to my Master, General Cross."

"Alright," Hitsugaya said, sliding Hyourinmaru back into the sheath and once again merging with his gigai. He wasn't really interested in any of the fine details, as long as the little creature wasn't a threat. And judging by the delighted expression on Allen's face it definitely wasn't a threat.

* * *

"Hey guys," Komui called out in a subdued voice as he and the others prepared to depart the doctor's house with Allen's body. "Has anyone seen Timcanpy?"

"Not since we. . ." Lenalee choked on the words, thinking back to the battle that had cost Allen his life.

Seeing her distress Lavi took over the explanation. "The last time we saw him was when we followed him to the site of the battle."

"Someone will have to track him down," Komui said. The last time that he himself had seen the golem had been when he was attempting to contact the Black Order so that he could inform them of Allen's death. Unfortunately Timcanpy had proven to be less than cooperative and had remained just out of reach.

* * *

Allen was leading the way down the road, followed closely behind by Hitsugaya, however the young Exorcist made a quick attempt to hide behind his companion as a horse drawn wagon came into view. A very familiar red head was sitting next to the driver and Allen didn't think that he should allow himself to be seen.

"What the hell is your problem?" Hitsugaya demanded as he glanced back at Allen, his eyes narrowed in irritation.

"T. . . those guys are my friends," Allen muttered, avoiding making eye contact with his irritated companion. "And since they were with me at the time I'm pretty sure that they're gonna know I'm dead."

"Great," Hitsugaya muttered.

His first instinct was to use his flash-step and escape with Allen in tow however there obviously wasn't time judging by the fact that the guy in the wagon, the one with the red hair, was already pointing in their direction. "You may as well stop trying to hide," Hitsugaya grumbled, sighing in resignation. "I'm not tall enough to hide you anyway."

As the two travelers came into full view Lavi gasped in shock and ceased his waving. He had thought that they were merely two travelers and had sought to ask if they had seen a little golden golem flying around but as soon as the wagon grew close he felt his blood run cold. There was simply no way that this was possible and yet he knew that his eye wasn't deceiving him. Allen was standing on the side of the road, in the company of another strange youth with white hair and weird clothes.

"What the. . ." Lavi exclaimed. "Hey Komui, Kanda, Lenalee. . . You're all gonna want to see this."

Three heads immediately popped up behind Lavi and the driver and they all gasped as their gazes simultaneously fell upon Allen and his companion. Komui instinctively gazed down at the black draped coffin that was in the back of the wagon, wondering when the body had been moved.

And who had been approached by the Millennium Earl.

"We've been spotted," Hitsugaya said in a quiet voice as the red haired man leapt from the wagon.

_"Oh no," _Allen thought to himself as he watched Lavi pull out his hammer. He knew what his friends must be thinking and honestly he couldn't blame them for their assumption but this situation was about to be really bad for him and Hitsugaya. "Lavi. . ."

"What is going on?" Lavi demanded as he landed a few feet from the spot where Allen and Hitsugaya were standing, holding a miniature mallet in his hand. "I would think that you were an Akuma if not for the fact that none of us left your side since the moment that we discovered you were dead. For that very reason."

"Well. . ." Allen began, rubbing the back of his head as he thought about how best to explain the situation.

"He was recruited by Soul Society after death," Hitsugaya spoke up, surprising both of the Exorcists. "And has now returned to continue his fight against the Akuma." Since Allen's friends already knew about his death the young captain decided that it would be better for him to tell the truth.

"And you are?" Lavi demanded.

"A Shinigami," Hitsugaya replied, an icy look in his teal eyes as he regarded the Exorcist. "Captain of Squad Ten, Toushirou Hitsugaya."

"So you're a Shinigami huh bean sprout?" a new voice asked, joining the conversation.

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed in anger as his gaze shifted to the newcomer, a slightly taller boy with blue hair and piercing eyes. "What did you just call me?"

"Calm down Hitsugaya," Allen said, sensing trouble. Tremendous auras were growing around both Hitsugaya and Kanda and Allen really didn't want to find out which of them was stronger. At least not right now. Although later it could be fun. "Kanda, quit it."

"Yes I'm a Shinigami," Hitsugaya said in a deadly tone of voice, as though daring this newcomer to disagree.

"Prove it," Kanda said, a sneer on his face as he regarded the boy who was even shorter than Allen.

For a moment Allen thought that Hitsugaya was going to refuse or say that there wasn't any way to prove it however, without so much as another word to any of them, the young captain pulled his Gikongan from his pocket and popped the little green pill in his mouth.

In a flash Hitsugaya emerged from his gigai and, shaking his head at the absurdity of this situation, walked over and grabbed the man named Kanda by the arm. The blue haired man's eyes widened as he saw Hitsugaya standing next to him and he gazed back and forth from the young captain to his gigai, which was still standing beside Allen.

"So now are you convinced?" Hitsugaya asked in a menacing voice.

Kanda nodded although he still looked irritated.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and returned to his gigai, annoyed over the situation.

"It's alright guys," Lavi called out to the rest of the group. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure what was going on but was fairly confident that the boy in front of him was really Allen.

Allen and Hitsugaya were immediately surrounded by the others and the group of Exorcists began demanding an explanation of the situation. And although it took quite a bit of time, as well as a little help from a reluctant Hitsugaya, Allen did manage to finally explain everything to his friends.

"And that's how it is," Allen said once the story was complete. "And now Hitsugaya and I are searching for the Millennium Earl and fighting Akuma that cross our paths. And get this guys, he actually has Innocence, it's in his sword just like Kanda's."

Komui's eyes widened in surprise and he gazed about in search of the sword.

"I only have it when I'm in soul form," Hitsugaya said gruffly. "And don't you ever even attempt to touch it."

"Right," Komui said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"I'm sorry about everything," Allen said in a quiet voice.

"You don't have to be sorry," Komui said, a strange glimmer appearing in his eyes as his gaze shifted back and forth between the two white haired youths. "Cause I haven't sent word to the order about your death. I needed a golem in order to contact them and for some strange reason all of ours have disappeared. And Timcanpy absolutely refused to cooperate. He wouldn't let me anywhere near him. So all we have to do is cremate your body and you can return to the Order as though nothing ever happened."

A smile appeared on Allen's face however it fell as he remembered his companion.

Komui followed Allen's gaze. "And your friend can come along as well since you say that his sword contains Innocence."

Hitsugaya didn't look exactly thrilled with the idea however he nodded his head ever so slightly. He had been assigned to protect Allen Walker and it was obvious that the white haired Exorcist really wanted to return to this Black Order so he would go along with it despite any misgivings that he may have.

Maybe it would prove useful for their mission.

TBC. . .

A/N - and the plot thickens. I wasn't sure about having the others find out about Allen but then I decided that it would be easier this way and now we can have more character interaction. Hope you enjoy and if anyone has any suggestions feel free to tell me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	5. Return to the Black Order

Disclaimer - I do not own DGrayMan or Bleach

A/N - The Musician here, yes I changed my pen name due to the rapidly approaching insanity. I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all who have submitted reviews to this story. This chapter is dedicated to Nebelkind who was the first to review last chapter. Thank you all so much and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

Chapter Five - Return to the Black Order

"Um guys," Allen said in a strange voice, as he casually helped Lavi, Kanda, Toma and Komui build a funeral pyre for his own corpse. "Did you. . ." Okay how exactly did you ask an important question about your own corpse. This was beyond weird and Allen was finding it somewhat difficult to cope. But the question was an important one and he really needed to know the answer. So, after taking a deep breath, he forced himself to ask it. "Did you remove the Innocence from my body?"

A thoughtful expression appeared in Komui's eyes as he was posed this question by the newly deceased Exorcist. "Well we did try."

"Try?" Allen repeated.

Lavi nodded. "It was the strangest thing. We were going to remove the Innocence before placing your body in the coffin but. . ."

"It wasn't there," Komui said, shaking his head. "I have never seen anything like this happen in all of my time with the Black Order. At first I thought that it had been destroyed in the battle and no one had noticed but when you returned and I saw that you could still use your powers I arrived at a different conclusion. It seems as though your Innocence has merged with your very soul."

Allen's eyes widened. He hadn't given it much thought but Komui's theory did make sense. After all he could still use his Innocence so it had to still be there. He could still feel it's power coursing through his veins and despite his situation he smiled. It was the one constant in his life. He had been born with it and had even kept it after death.

"Alright," Komui said, breaking into the boy's thoughts. "We have to get this over with so that we can return to headquarters. If we delay our return much longer they're going to begin to fear that something bad happened."

* * *

It felt strange for Allen to be watching the cremation of his own body however he didn't comment on the weirdness of the situation as he watched the flames rise into the air. He was just grateful that his friends had understood the situation and had agreed to keep his death a secret from the Black Order so that he could continue to benefit from their aid while he and Hitsugaya searched for the Millennium Earl and his henchmen. Hopefully this would make things easier for him and his unwilling accomplice.

"Does this feel weird to anyone else?" Lavi asked, lending voice to the thoughts that were bouncing around inside Allen's head.

"Well I wasn't going to say it," Allen said, forgetting about the fact that Timcanpy was sitting on top of his head and running a hand through his white hair. The little golem flew into the air and slapped Allen in the side of his head with one of his golden wings. "Sorry Tim. But since you asked the question, yes. Yes I do."

Hitsugaya was standing off to the side, paying as little attention to the Exorcists as was humanly possible, and Lenalee was also standing alone. She had been acting strange ever since Allen and Hitsugaya had joined the group and Allen couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd done something wrong. Something to make her upset with him. As he stared at her the young Exorcist noticed that there was a strange expression in her violet eyes and Allen felt compelled to walk over to her. "Hey Lenalee," he said in a quiet voice. "Are you. . ."

The young Exorcist paused as Lenalee turned to face him and he saw the tears that were glistening in her eyes. Allen held up his hands. "Why. . . why are you crying?"

"Because you died!" Lenalee burst out, glaring at him as though that were the stupidest question that he could have possibly asked.

Allen hadn't thought about how Lenalee must be feeling about this situation and he immediately felt bad about it. It wasn't like he had wanted to die or anything however it was obvious that she had suffered due to his demise and he felt guilty about that fact. "I'm sorry Lenalee."

"Don't be stupid," Lenalee said, sniffling slightly. "It's not your fault and I don't blame you or anything. It. . . it was. . . just hard. If only we'd gotten there faster then we could have. . ."

And there it was. Lenalee actually blamed herself for his death and, without thinking, the white haired Exorcist wrapped his arms around her in a comforting gesture. "Don't talk like that. Nothing that happened was your fault Lenalee so please stop blaming yourself."

Lenalee nodded, wiping away the last remnants of her tears on the sleeve of her coat. Clinging to Allen as though she didn't intend to ever let him go the young woman whispered, "Thanks Allen."

This touching moment was interrupted by a scream of complete agony and, breaking apart, Allen and Lenalee both turned to gaze at the person who was screeching as though his life had ended. Chief Komui had turned away from the fire just in time to catch Allen and his beloved little sister locked in an embrace.

"ALLEN HOW COULD YOU?" Komui clenched his hands into fists and gazed around as though searching for something. "TOUCHING MY SWEET LITTLE LENALEE! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

Allen paled and quickly put some distance between himself and Lenalee. He hadn't even thought about Chief Komui and his famous sister complex but now it looked as though he were going to pay dearly for this little oversight.

"You can't kill him chief," Lavi said, a smirk on his face as he pulled out his hammer. Skillfully using the little weapon, which he didn't even bother to activate, he knocked their leader in the head, rendering him unconscious. "He's already dead."

"Thanks Lavi," Allen said as he watched Komui slump to the ground. Hopefully when he woke up he wouldn't have any memory of what he had witnessed.

"Don't mention it bean sprout," Lavi said, smiling good naturedly.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, MY NAME'S ALLEN!"

Both Kanda and Hitsugaya rolled their eyes and muttered, "Idiots."

* * *

Once Allen's 'funeral' had come to an end the group once again began the journey back to headquarters but not before everyone who knew the truth was sworn to secrecy. Even Toma, the Finder who had been driving the wagon, promised not to disclose the nature of Allen and Hitsugaya to anyone.

Chief Komui had yet to regain consciousness but since it was his idea to bring the two back to headquarters in the first place they were all pretty sure that he could be trusted to keep the secret. Unless of course he caught Allen hugging his sister again.

"I can't believe that I'm actually talking to a Shinigami," Lavi said with a wide grin. "And whatever the hell Allen is now."

"Hey," Allen exclaimed. "That wasn't very nice."

"And who says I'm a nice guy?" Lavi countered, reaching over and tugging on a lock of Allen's hair. "You should know me better than that by now bean sprout."

"I told you not to call me that! My name's Allen! ALLEN!"

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya and Kanda exclaimed in unison.

Both Allen and Lavi's eyes widened at this simultaneous order for them to shut up and Lavi actually shuddered. "Man that's creepy," he said to Allen, holding up his hand in a futile attempt to shield his words from the two irritated members of their group.

"I know," Allen mumbled, shivering.

Lenalee, Komui and Toma were all laughing at the exchange between the four however the laughter ceased as Hitsugaya suddenly jumped to his feet and began scanning the terrain. "Something's coming," the young Shinigami announced, sensing that they were being watched by something. It wasn't a Hollow, of that he was certain. He knew THAT feeling and this wasn't it so the young prodigy could only guess that it was Akuma.

"But I don't. . ." Toma began however his words were cut short as a group of people suddenly appeared from one side of a hill.

Allen was on his feet in a matter of seconds.

"They're Akuma!" both Allen and Hitsugaya announced.

And without so much as another word to the others the two white-haired youths leapt from the wagon and began running toward the crowd. Hitsugaya discarded his gigai as he ran and by the time he and Allen reached the group he was holding Hyourinmaru out in front of himself, ready for battle.

"What are you waiting for?" Kanda exclaimed as he bounded over the side of the still moving wagon.

"Right behind you," Lavi said as he and Lenalee followed suit.

By the time the other three Exorcists made it to the battlefield Allen and Hitsugaya had already engaged the Akuma in battle. Wasting no time Kanda pulled his katana from it's sheath while Lavi pulled out his hammer and Lenalee activated the power of her boots.

"Wow," Toma said as he pulled the horses to a stop a safe distance from the battle.

"It is indeed impressive," Komui said as he and the Finder watched the battle. He had regained consciousness mere minutes before the battle and seemed to have forgotten about the incident with Allen and Lenalee. His gaze shifted back and forth between Allen and Hitsugaya as the group fought against the Akuma. He was equally curious as to whether Allen could still use his Innocence and whether Hitsugaya could really fight the Akuma.

Both questions seemed to be answered in the affirmative.

_"So the new kid really does possess Innocence,"_Komui thought to himself as he watched Hitsugaya swing his glowing blade, slicing three Akuma in half with one swing. _"This is interesting."_

Once the battle was over and all of the Akuma had been defeated the group returned to the wagon where Komui and Toma were waiting for them. Hitsugaya collected his gigai along the way and although the merger seemed normal enough when he entered the faux body he realized that he was still wearing Hyourinmaru secured across his back.

This had never happened before.

"Your sword!" Allen exclaimed, noticing the difference as well. "You still have it. I didn't know you could keep it when you entered your fake body."

"Neither did I," Hitsugaya muttered, an uncharacteristic confused expression in his teal eyes. "This has never happened before."

"Maybe it's a good thing," Allen offered but shut up when Hitsugaya directed a glare in his direction.

"Alright everyone," Komui called out, instantly gaining the attention of the group. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get back to headquarters the better."

Hitsugaya wasn't so sure that he agreed with this assessment however he, like everyone else, climbed into the wagon so that the journey could continue. The young captain wasn't sure what was going on with Hyourinmaru however he found that he was oddly comforted by the presence of his zanpaktou.

But what did it mean?

* * *

After a journey that seemed to last forever, and two more interruptions to fight Akuma, the group arrived at the headquarters of the Black Order. This place was even stranger than the living world in general and Hitsugaya found himself content to follow someone else for a change. Komui led the way up to a huge front gate which seemed to be decorated by a face.

As soon as Allen saw the Gatekeeper his thoughts immediately flashed back to his first day at the Order and he threw a nervous glance in Hitsugaya's direction. He was one hundred percent certain that the young Shinigami captain's sword contained Innocence however what he wasn't sure about was whether or not the Gatekeeper could be fooled by the artificial body.

Would Hitsugaya, and for that matter he himself, be judged human or would their charade end here?

"Prepare for an x-ray exam," the Gatekeeper announced in a booming voice upon noticing that there was a newcomer amongst the group of Exorcists.

Hitsugaya stood stock still while the Gatekeeper did his exam, a stoic expression on his face. He had been warned about this by Komui however he wasn't worried about it. He knew that Captain Urahara was the best and had complete confidence in the gigai that he had created.

After all it would be utterly pathetic if it couldn't pass a test designed by humans.

"Pass!" the Gatekeeper announced after a few tense minutes.

Everyone except for Hitsugaya and Kanda breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the two large gates open to admit them to the headquarters of the Black Order. "Come on Tou. . ." Allen paused as he caught a death glare from Hitsugaya and altered his words. "Hitsugaya. Welcome to headquarters. This place is like a second home to Exorcists who aren't away on assignment."

Hitsugaya nodded, briefly acknowledging the fact that his charge had spoken, and then followed the group inside.

"Hitsugaya," Komui said once everyone had entered the main hall and the gates had closed behind them. "If you'll come with me I'll get everything set up so that you can enter the Black Order."

Hitsugaya started to protest however Allen interrupted. "Please do this. It'll be much easier to continue our mission with their help and if you don't join the Black Order then you won't be allowed to stay and if you can't stay then by default neither can I."

The young Shinigami winced as he listened to Allen's whining. "Fine," he growled, wanting nothing more than to knock Allen unconscious and put a stop to his pathetic whining.

"Come on," Komui said, seemingly happy about having another lab rat.

Kanda and Toma left to go about their own business, leaving the rest of the group to follow Komui down to his lab in the Science Division. It wasn't as though they had anything better to do and watching Komui torture new recruits was always good for a laugh.

It wasn't long before Hitsugaya found himself seated in a brightly lit room while Komui rummaged around in a drawer as though he had lost something important. Allen and Lenalee both wore sympathetic expressions while Lavi looked on with great interest. This immediately arose suspicion. And he became vastly more suspicious when Komui suddenly wrapped restraining straps around his wrists and ankles. "What the hell is going on?" the young Shinigami growled.

"You'll see soon enough," Komui said with a strangely sinister laugh, going back to searching for whatever it was that he had lost.

A few more seconds passed and then the Chief turned around, holding up an instrument that vaguely resembled a drill. There was a slightly evil glint in his eye as he took a couple of steps toward Hitsugaya and the young captain was instantly wary.

Komui jumped toward the boy, in an attempt to catch him off guard, however Hitsugaya easily snapped the restraints that had been meant to hold him to the chair and, with one fluid motion, sliced the drill in half with Hyourinmaru.

His eyes wide and horrified Komui dropped the remains of his drill and simply stared at Hitsugaya. Then, regaining his composure as though nothing had happened, he said, "Alright then, I think we'll forgo the physical exam. On to the next phase."

"Ugh," Hitsugaya groaned.

* * *

An hour later Hitsugaya once again found himself in the main lobby of the Exorcists' headquarters, only now he was dressed in a black and white coat that was almost identical to the one that Allen wore. Hyourinmaru was still strapped to his back however he had traded in his green sash for a white one.

"You look weird," Lavi commented as he and Allen walked cautiously toward the youth.

"Weirder," Allen added, making sure to keep out of arm's reach.

Hitsugaya glared in their direction but made no move to attack. He was still trying to grasp everything that had happened to him this day. It had started out so normal and now, not only was he baby-sitting a newly deceased soul, but he had been told that he possessed something called Innocence.

Or more to the point Hyourinmaru possessed Innocence.

He had never before seen Hyourinmaru perform the moves that he had been able to use against the Akuma and there was also that strange light that now surrounded the blade when he fought and Hitsugaya was at a loss as to how to explain the changes.

None of it made any sense.

"Stop thinking so hard," Lavi said, walking up to the boy and punching him lightly on the top of his head. "You're making MY head hurt."

Hitsugaya glared at the red haired menace however, before he had the chance to retaliate against Lavi, Allen intervened in the hopes of maintaining peace. "Come on Hitsugaya, we should go and get something to eat. I'm absolutely starving."

"Of course you are," Lavi said with a chuckle.

Hitsugaya didn't really have much of an appetite however he followed Allen and Lavi to the dining hall and his eyes widened in surprise as he stepped into the room and saw the huge crowd of people that were assembled within. There seemed to be some kind of banner strung across the ceiling and Hitsugaya absently read the words that were written upon it.

Welcome Toushirou Hitsugaya.

The young Shinigami gasped in surprise.

"Welcome to the family," Lenalee called out in a cheerful voice as she walked over to the shocked youth and offered him a coffee mug. "And thanks for bringing Allen back to us," she added, in a quiet voice that was meant only for him.

A/N - and there's another chapter. Hitsugaya's an Exorcist! This fic just gets stranger and stranger. Hope you enjoyed, please leave me a review and tell me what you thought. Do you like it? Huh, huh, do you? The Musician wants to know how you like the story. So tell me!


	6. Training for Battle

Disclaimer - I own neither D Gray Man nor Bleach

A/N - this chapter is dedicated to 14th Noah, who was the first one to review the last chapter. And in a side note, I don't care how many times you apologize for the whole memory implanting thing, I'm still NOT forgiving you for it.

Chapter Six - Training for Battle

As sunlight spilled into the room Allen sat up in bed and stretched his arms up over his head. Timcanpy was fluttering around the room as usual and Allen smiled as the little golem came to rest on the top of his head. The weirdness of yesterday was all but forgotten after the night of uninterrupted sleep and Allen gazed around the room through half opened eyes. Looking at the familiar room, where he spent his time when he wasn't away on assignment, it was easy to forget what had happened the previous day however as he climbed out of bed and got dressed the young Exorcist forced himself to remember.

Things had changed and drastically at that.

"But I still have a mission," he muttered as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Allen took all of half a step outside of his room when he felt something suddenly poke into his ribs. Caught completely off guard Allen screamed and jumped back, losing his balance as he did so and falling in a heap on the floor. Once again dislodged from his perch Timcanpy flew in a circle around Allen's head. The boy was trembling slightly however fear was replaced by annoyance when he saw the white haired youth that was standing in front of his door, sheathed sword in hand.

"TOUSHIROU!" he exclaimed, clambering to his feet and dusting off the back of his coat. "Why did you do that?"

"It's Hitsugaya," the young Shinigami reminded his companion, a smirk on his face. "And I did that to prove a point. You have to keep your guard up at all times."

"But it's safe here at the Order," Allen said in his own defense as he joined Hitsugaya out in the hallway.

"Maybe," Hitsugaya muttered, his gaze shifting around suspiciously. "Maybe not. Regardless, you should never drop your guard." The young Shinigami lowered his voice so that only Allen could hear his next comment. "Just remember that the next time you die, it's for keeps."

"Right," Allen said.

"Allen," a voice called out, interrupting the conversation. "Toushirou."

"Ugh," Hitsugaya groaned as he and Allen turned and watched as Lenalee walked toward them. These people refused to call him by his last name and he was growing weary of correcting them. Perhaps it would be easier if he simply forced himself to answer to his first name.

"Hey Lenalee," Allen said, choosing to ignore the sour look on his companion's face.

"Are you guys on your way to the dining hall?" the young woman asked, offering the two white haired youths a bright smile.

"Yes," Allen replied, not even bothering to consult with Hitsugaya. The fact was that he was absolutely starving and getting something to eat was his number one priority at this moment in time. Everything else could wait but food was of the utmost importance.

Hitsugaya nodded.

"Great," Lenalee said brightly. "I'll walk with you."

And so together the three youths made their way downstairs to the dining room. Allen's face lit up as the aroma of food filled his nostrils and he practically ran over to the cook's window and ordered a tremendous amount of food. Lenalee was just thinking that she had never met anyone who ate as much as Allen when the smaller of the two white haired boys ordered just as much.

The cook, Jerry, beamed in their direction, thoroughly enjoying cooking the large meals.

_"I don't believe this,"_ Lenalee thought to herself as the two boys began their meal. The similarities between the two of them were beginning to grow down right eerie. It was true that the younger was a little moody and more serious but other than that. . .

"So what are your plans for today?" Lenalee asked once they had finished their meal in record time.

"We're going to train," Hitsugaya replied, his gaze locking on to Allen who paled considerably. "It's my job to protect him but I want to make sure that the job doesn't turn out to be more than I can handle. It was obvious from the battles that we fought yesterday that Allen has no experience with a sword."

"It's not my fault," Allen muttered in his own defense. "My anti-Akuma weapon isn't even supposed to be a sword."

"No excuses," Hitsugaya said, getting to his feet and indicating that Allen was to follow him. "They don't work in battle and they won't work with me."

_"Harsh," _Lenalee thought to herself as the two boys left the dining room.

"So," Hitsugaya said, once the two of them were back out in the hallway. "Is there a place in here where we can train or should we go outside?"

"There's a room for that," Allen replied, slightly concerned about what this training was going to entail. He had only known Hitsugaya for a short period of time however he struck him as the type who would be a rough master. _"Oh no," _he thought to himself, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. _"I hope he's not like Master Cross. I can't go through that again! I CAN'T!"_

"Yo bean sprout!"

"I told you my name's ALLEN!"

"Wow," Lavi said as he joined the two white haired youths. "I didn't even say which bean sprout that I was talking about."

Hitsugaya sent a death glare in the red haired boy's direction and continued walking.

"So where exactly are the two of you going so early in the morning?" Lavi asked, a curious expression in his one visible green eye as his gaze shifted back and forth between Allen and Hitsugaya.

"We're going to train," Allen replied without much enthusiasm.

"That sounds like fun," Lavi said, deciding to tag along and see just what kind of training the two dead guys had in mind.

Allen led the way to a large room that the Black Order reserved for sparring matches and training exercises and, once the three of them were inside, he made his way to the center of the room and then turned to face Hitsugaya. "Alright, what's first?"

Taking this as his cue Timcanpy left his spot on Allen's head and relocated to the other side of the room.

As though in answer Hitsugaya pulled his sword from the sheath that he was wearing secured across his back. Holding up the blade he pointed the tip toward Allen, a somewhat evil glint hidden in the teal depths of his eyes. Yet another sweat drop appeared on the side of Allen's head as he stared at the tip of the sword, his eyes crossing. "W. . . wait. Y. . . you can't be serious."

"Allen's right," Lavi said, enjoying the look on Allen's face but deciding that he better help the kid before he had a stroke. Wait, could spirits even have a stroke? "Allen's never used a sword before so don't you think that you should. . . I don't know, use a wooden practice sword or something?"

"No," Hitsugaya stated. "He'll learn faster this way."

"Or die again," Lavi said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Allen said, his gaze focused on Hitsugaya. Alright, if the guy wanted to fight for real then he would give him a fight that he wouldn't soon forget. Holding up his left arm he called out, "Innocence Activate!"

Once again Allen's left arm was engulfed in a green light as the sword formed as before. Deciding not to wait for his opponent to make the first move the young Exorcist launched himself forward, swinging his sword as he did so.

A smirk appeared on Hitsugaya's face as he easily dodged the attack. Truth be told it wasn't half bad however it would still have to be a hundred times better if he were to stand a chance against a more powerful opponent than the ones that they had gone up against the day before.

_"Wow,"_ Lavi thought to himself as he watched the two of them fight. He'd seen Allen fight hundreds of times however never with a sword and he had to admit that it was impressive. It seemed that with his life in danger Allen's skills grew at a much more rapid pace. _"That's hardcore."_

Jumping back away from his student Hitsugaya swung Hyourinmaru in an arm out in front of him. Allen anticipated the attack and dodged the blow. Then he leapt back toward his opponent, swinging his own sword with all of the force that he could muster.

Hitsugaya blocked it as though the attack was coming from a toddler.

Eyes wide, Allen jumped back and thought about the situation. Then, deciding upon a strategy, he jumped back into the fight. He may not be used to wielding a sword but he was determined to learn and to learn quickly. This was the form that his Innocence had chosen to take and he would adapt and learn to use it. That was his duty as an Exorcist.

"You shouldn't daydream in the middle of a battle," Lavi called out as he watched Hitsugaya lunge toward Allen. "You'll get yourself killed." _"Again," _he silently added.

Snapping back to the present, and shaking his head at the irony of Lavi's words, Allen blocked the blow that had been aimed at his head. The sound of their swords clashing together echoed through the room and Allen launched an immediate counter attack, not giving his opponent any time to back away.

"Impressive," Hitsugaya said as he blocked the blow. "If I had a little less training that would have been bad."

Allen stared at his teacher, wondering if that was the kid's version of a compliment.

Hitsugaya realized that his student was preoccupied by his words and he used this to his advantage. Jumping forward quickly the young prodigy swung Hyourinmaru in the direction of Allen's head. The young Exorcist immediately blocked the blow, proving that he had in fact been paying attention to his opponent.

Despite himself Hitsugaya was slightly impressed.

Determined to take the upper hand at least once Allen once again rushed toward Hitsugaya, swinging his sword as soon as he was near enough to strike. Unfortunately Hitsugaya proved to be too good for him and knocked the blade to one side with ease.

Allen sighed.

"I think that's enough for one day," Hitsugaya said, sheathing Hyourinmaru with one fluid motion.

"Already?"

Hitsugaya heard the confusion in Allen's voice. "We've been at it for over an hour."

"Wow," Allen said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. His left arm reverted to normal as he walked over to the spot where Hitsugaya was standing. "Didn't seem like that long. Guess I was too busy fighting for my life to notice how much time passed."

"You weren't in any danger," Hitsugaya stated in a matter of fact voice.

"But. . . but you said. . ."

"I knew that you'd learn faster if you thought that you were in danger," Hitsugaya told him, a smirk on his face. "But my entire mission is to keep you safe so why the hell would I kill you? Seriously use your brain every once in awhile."

"That's so mean," Allen said, his face falling.

"Deal with it," Hitsugaya said without even a trace of sympathy.

And with these words the young Shinigami turned and began walking toward the door. Allen briefly debated murdering his companion but in the end decided that this would probably not be a good idea given his current situation. With a sigh he ran to catch up to the smaller boy, followed closely behind by Lavi, who seemed to enjoy listening to their fights, and Timcanpy.

"This is almost as good as your fights with Yu," Lavi said with a smile.

"I told you not to call me by that name!"

"Damn," Lavi said as he watched the blue haired Exorcist walking toward them. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to train," Kanda replied, his eyes narrowed as he regarded the group for a few seconds. Then, dismissing them all with a shake of his head, he entered the room that they had just left.

"I think we should have stayed longer," Lavi commented as they made their way down a corridor. "It might have been fun to watch Yu and Toushirou go at it."

"Two minutes tops," Hitsugaya mumbled.

"Yea, we should definitely get the two of them together some time soon," Lavi said while Allen nodded. A fight between Kanda and Hitsugaya would definitely be interesting, that was for sure.

"Allen! Toushirou!"

"Hey Reever," Allen said as the man from the Science Division came to a stop in front of them, slightly out of breath from his run. "What's up?"

"I need for the two of you to go to Chief Komui's office immediately," Reever told the two white haired boys. "You have a mission."

Allen and Hitsugaya glanced at each other and nodded.

A/N - And there we have chapter six. Hope that you enjoyed this installment, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. And as always if you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. The music has ended for now, stay tuned for more.

Kanda: There is absolutely no way that little moyashi would ever be able to beat me.  
Toushirou: 'Glares at Kanda and draws Hyourinmaru'  
Lavi: Would anyone like to make a bet as to who is going to win? Come on, any takers?  
The Musician: I don't know these people.  
Allen: Get BACK in your hole!


	7. Enter the Millennium Earl

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach. Just having a little fun.

A/N - thank you so much to everyone who enjoys this story. This chapter is dedicated to Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky who was the first person to review last chapter. I want you all to know that I truly appreciate every single review that I get. And on a related note Kanda is not at all happy with the reviewers (putting it mildly) because apparently everyone thinks that Toushirou could beat him. Personally I do too but I didn't tell him that.

Chapter Seven - Enter the Millennium Earl

Allen and Hitsugaya made their way to the office of Chief Komui, which was located down in the bowels of the Science Division. Hitsugaya had no idea exactly where it was that they were going so he allowed Allen to lead the way. After all this was technically his job anyway. _"I'm just supposed to protect the guy," _Hitsugaya thought to himself as he adjusted the collar of the coat that he had yet to grow accustomed to wearing. _"So I don't see why I have to play this charade."_

"You should hurry up Hitsugaya," Allen called out, having gotten a few yards ahead of his companion while Hitsugaya was lost in thought. "You never know what you're going to run into down here in the Science Division."

"Tch," Hitsugaya scoffed, not even the least bit concerned about anything that he might encounter. "Like I'm not a match for anything that may come along."

"Alright," Allen said, turning his gaze forward and continuing down the corridor. "If you say so."

At that moment a crash could be heard resounding down the hallway. Allen's eyes widened as he turned to Hitsugaya and called out, "Come on! We should see what that noise was and make sure that no one was injured."

"Sure," Hitsugaya said as he followed along behind the young Exorcist.

Anxious to make sure that none of the scientists had been injured Allen burst through the door that led into the Science Division and his face visibly paled as his gaze fell upon. . .

"I give you Sir Komlin the Fifth!" Chief Komui called out, his voice filled with excitement as he gestured toward a huge robot that was towering over everyone else. His eyes were shining and it was obvious that he was thrilled with his creation.

"Oh no!" Allen exclaimed, taking a couple of steps back. He was absolutely horrified by the sight of the robot, having encountered several of it's 'siblings'. "Not another one!"

"Allen!" Jake Russell called out, his gaze falling upon the two boys who had just entered the office. "Toushirou! Look out for that thing."

With a nod Allen proceeded to take a couple more steps away from the robot however Hitsugaya stood his ground, gazing up at the robot with a look of dismay in his teal eyes. He was by no means scared of this over grown heap of scrap metal and he eyed the robot through narrowed eyes.

"This boy is too small to be an Exorcist," the robot announced as it focused it's attention on the young Shinigami. "He needs a height adjustment."

The robot took a couple of steps toward Hitsugaya.

"Oh no! Run Toushirou, it has it's sights set on you!"

Making a mental note to knock Allen around for his insistence on calling him by his given name Hitsugaya pulled Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore secured across his back and held it up. As soon as the robot made a move to grab him Hitsugaya used his zanpaktou to slice the thing's arm completely off.

Komui howled in anguish, as though it were his arm that had just been forcibly removed, while the rest of the scientists cheered.

Undeterred from it's self appointed mission by the loss of it's arm the robot once again made a move to grab Hitsugaya. This was a fatal mistake as far as the young Shinigami was concerned and he narrowed his teal eyes in anger as he gazed up at the robot. "All right," the young prodigy said, once again pointing the tip of his blade at the robot. "Have it your way." Leaping into the air Hitsugaya effortlessly sliced the robot into several pieces, which fell to the ground with a huge crash.

Landing lightly on the ground beside Allen, the young Shinigami turned Exorcist sheathed his blade in one fluid movement.

"Sir Komlin!" Chief Komui exclaimed, tears flowing down his face as he fell to his knees beside the pile of scrap metal that had once been his beloved Sir Komlin the Fifth. "How could you do that? He's just an innocent baby!"

"My ass," Hitsugaya muttered, glaring at the scientist.

"Um, excuse me Komui, but didn't you have a mission for us?" Allen could tell that Hitsugaya was irritated and since Komui had just lost yet another Komlin he decided that he should probably interrupt the two of them before they traded blows or something like that.

Allen's question served to divert Komui's attention away from his destroyed robot and he quickly got to his feet and rushed over to his cluttered desk. Groping around for a few minutes he finally managed to find what he was looking for and, holding a black and white folder aloft, he turned back to Allen and Hitsugaya. "There are rumors of some strange phenomenon in Vienna and I want the two of you to check into it and see if there's Innocence involved."

"Right," Allen said while Hitsugaya merely looked annoyed.

"Your train leaves in. . ." Komui paused to look at his watch and then he turned his attention back to the two white haired youths. "Twenty minutes."

"What?!" Allen exclaimed, his gray eyes widening as he heard this news. "Don't you think that you could have been a little quicker with this information? Come on Toushirou, we have to go!"

And without waiting for a reply from his companion Allen seized the young Shinigami by the hand and proceeded to drag him from the room. Shocked by the behavior of the young Exorcist Hitsugaya allowed himself to be pulled along for a few minutes before realizing exactly what was going on.

But when he did the young Shinigami pulled his hand free from Allen's grip. "Release me!" he ordered as he pulled free from Allen's grip.

"Fine," Allen said as he released his hold. "But we have to hurry or we're going to miss the train."

"Ugh," Hitsugaya groaned as he followed along behind Allen. "How irritating."

After Allen dashed to his room and hurriedly threw some clothes into a suitcase the two youths left the headquarters of the Black Order and rushed to the train station. When they arrived the train was pulling out of the station and, without a second thought, Hitsugaya seized Allen by the arm and leapt for the train.

Allen screamed as he was pulled into the air, just knowing that Hitsugaya was going to slam them head first into the side of the train.

Luckily for them that wasn't the case. Hitsugaya landed lightly on the platform on the back of the train while Allen fell in a heap beside him and proceeded to thank God that he was still alive, so to speak. Then, once he had recovered from the shock somewhat, he jumped to his feet and turned on his companion. "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me again?"

"Keep your voice down you idiot," Hitsugaya snapped, glaring at Allen as though he'd like nothing better than to permanently silence the young Exorcist. "If you don't shut up then I really am going to kill you."

Realizing that they were in public Allen calmed a degree. "Let's just get inside the train," he muttered, reaching for the door that led inside.

Hitsugaya nodded and the companions entered the train. Upon entry the two youths were immediately approached by a conductor, to whom Allen offered a broad smile. "We're Exorcists with the Black Order," he told the man in explanation for their rather unorthodox method of boarding the train.

"Right," the conductor said, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead as he gazed at the two young boys. "Allow me to show you to your compartment."

Allen nodded and he and Hitsugaya followed the conductor to a first class compartment that was located in the first car of the train. Then, once they were alone, Allen turned to his Shinigami companion. "Hey Hitsugaya, can souls have a stroke?"

"No," Hitsugaya replied, not even bothering to glance at his charge as he spoke. "Why?"

"Because my heart's still pounding after that little stunt you pulled," Allen replied, placing his right hand over his heart. "And I'm kinda afraid that it's going to explode."

"You're in no danger of that," Hitsugaya told him.

"Good," Allen said, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm his shattered nerves.

* * *

Apart from the memorable way in which they had boarded the first train the journey to Vienna was wholly uneventful and the two youths were glad when they finally arrived. Hitsugaya hated the fact that he had to travel as a human and was irritated that the trip had taken so long. If only he'd been able to use the Senkaimon, then the trip would have taken mere minutes.

Allen, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by the length of the journey. Hitsugaya thought that the fact that he slept during most of the journey probably had a lot to do with his good mood but said nothing on the subject.

He was completely focused on the mission that Komui had given them since the sooner they found the Innocence, or proved that it wasn't there at all, then the sooner they could return to training. Allen would have to grow much stronger if they were to stand a chance in the battle against the Millennium Earl. It was true that the young captain knew absolutely nothing about this enemy however he had to be a major threat for Soul Society to get involved.

"Let's go," Hitsugaya said.

Allen nodded and together the two youths made their way out down the street. It wasn't an easy task to track down Innocence and it was even harder to collect it since the Innocence usually found ways of protecting its self. Hitsugaya had been warned of this by several people in the Order and yet he found that he was in no way prepared for the annoying task of following half truths and leads from people who had no idea what was really going on in their own backyards.

* * *

The search continued for a couple of days and Allen was beginning to wonder if there truly was Innocence in this town. He and Hitsugaya had been searching tirelessly since their arrival and yet there was still no trace of Innocence.

On the third day the two white haired youths were walking down a street when they came upon a funeral procession. Both Allen and Hitsugaya bowed their heads respectfully as the horse drawn hearse passed by the spot where they were standing however Allen was forced to look up as his left eye suddenly turned blood red.

His gaze swept over the mourners who were walking behind the hearse until he saw the soul emerging from the body of a teenaged boy. "Hitsugaya," he said, nudging his companion and gesturing in the direction of the procession.

"I see it," Hitsugaya said in a quiet voice.

Both Hitsugaya and Allen jumped toward the Akuma and, as the teenager turned toward them, his skin peeled back to reveal a Level One Akuma. They all had pretty much the same appearance, with a round body and protruding guns, and this one was no different. The others in the procession screamed in alarm as the Akuma assumed it's true form and began firing.

"Don't let the bullets strike you," Allen reminded his partner as he held out his hand.

Hitsugaya nodded. Neither of them knew if they would be affected by the Akuma's virus, since they were already dead, unfortunately the only way to find out would be to get hit and neither of them was willing to go that route.

"Innocence Activate!"

Hitsugaya stepped back and watched as the sword formed in Allen's left hand. He decided that, unless the battle turned in the Akuma's favor, he was going to allow Allen to fight it on his own. It would be good practice and besides, this enemy was low level.

The fight was brief and in no time the Akuma fell to Allen's blade. Once the Akuma had been defeated Allen turned back to Hitsugaya however the young man paused as he felt an ominous presence.

"Allen Walker," a voice called out, as though from above. "You truly are becoming a nuisance."

Allen and Hitsugaya gazed up and watched as a large man with an enormous smile floated through the sky, holding a large umbrella. Hitsugaya grabbed his head as the voice triggered a flash of memory. "What the. . ." the young Shinigami gasped, clutching the sides of his head. "Why does that voice sound familiar?"

"I will put a stop to your meddling soon enough," the man called out before vanishing.

"Who. . ."

"That was the Millennium Earl," Allen replied, anticipating the question that Hitsugaya was going to ask. "The man responsible for all of the Akuma that are created."

"I see," Hitsugaya said, a thoughtful expression in his teal eyes. That was the answer that he had been expecting however it brought about more questions than it answered. Why did the voice of the Millennium Earl sound so familiar to him? And whose memories was he now experiencing?

"Well," Allen said, breaking into Hitsugaya's thoughts. "We should probably report back to the Black Order and tell them what happened."

Hitsugaya nodded, still somewhat distracted.

A/N - And there's the end of chapter seven and now Hitsugaya has met the Millennium Earl. So why is the Earl's voice familiar to him? What exactly is going on? You'll have to stay tuned to the story in order to find out. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Toushirou: For the record, I really HATE trains.  
Allen: You really hate everything.  
Lavi: It does seem that way doesn't it.  
Toushirou: 'Draws Hyourinmaru and glares at the moyashi and the usagi'  
Allen and Lavi: RUN!  
The Musician: And that's all for now.


	8. Forgotten Memories

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

A/N - this chapter is dedicated to mysticwolf1896 who was the first one to review the last chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews, I truly appreciate everyone who reads this story.

Chapter Eight - Forgotten Memories

A thorough search of Vienna revealed no trace of the Innocence and Allen was forced to conclude that the strange occurrences that had been reported to the Black Order were the result of the Millennium Earl's presence here and not caused by Innocence. This was a depressing discover however as he and his partner prepared to return to the Order's headquarters the young Exorcist was already thinking about what they should do next.

Hitsugaya, on the other hand, was still caught up in the flashes of memory that he had seen when confronted by the Millennium Earl. He was positive that he had heard the man's voice before, and it brought a chilling feeling to him, but he couldn't place when the two of them had met.

The brief flashes of memories weren't anything that was familiar to him and he was certain that he had never met the Earl and yet the fact remained that he recognized the man's voice.

None of it made any sense.

"What is up with you Toushirou?" Allen asked as the two of them boarded yet another train. The trip back to the Order wasn't any longer than the trip to Vienna had been of course however Allen found that he was preoccupied by Hitsugaya's sudden melancholy mood and couldn't sleep. That made the trip almost unbearable. "You've been moping about ever since we fought that Akuma."

"It's Hitsugaya," the young Shinigami corrected, not even bothering to glance up at his companion.

"Fine then," Allen said. "So what's your problem Hitsugaya?"

"It's nothing," Hitsugaya said, not willing to tell Allen about the memories that the meeting with the Millennium Earl had awakened. This wasn't a part of his mission and he fully intended to keep it a secret. It was something that he simply had to work out on his own.

His partner was a terrible liar but Allen decided to let the matter drop, even though he could tell that Hitsugaya was hiding something. His mood had been dark, okay so even darker than usual, since their battle with the Akuma and the subsequent meeting with the Millennium Earl and to be quite honest Allen was worried about him.

However it didn't appear that Hitsugaya wanted to talk about his problems so Allen had no choice except to let the matter drop. Leaning back in the plush lined seat he shifted his gaze to the scenery that was passing by the window at a rapid pace.

_"When will the battles be over?" _the youth thought to himself.

* * *

The return trip to the headquarters of the Black Order was just as uneventful as the trip to Vienna and the two young Exorcists arrived without a problem. It was true that Hitsugaya still looked somewhat preoccupied but other than that everything was back to normal.

The minute that Allen and Hitsugaya entered headquarters they came face to face with Lenalee, who was carrying a tray of coffee mugs. "So how was your mission?" she asked the white haired duo.

"We didn't find any Innocence," Allen told her as the trio made their way down the corridor to the dining hall. "And we encountered the Millennium Earl. I believe that the strange occurrences in that region were due to his presence and not the presence of Innocence as we first believed."

Lenalee nodded. "I'll inform my brother for you. Why don't the two of you go and get something to eat?"

Allen's face lit up. "That's a wonderful idea. We'll see you later Lenalee!"

"Bye," Lenalee said, a smile appearing on her face as she watched the two boys continue walking down the corridor. She hoped that the cook had stocked up during their absence because those two ate more than the rest of the Order put together.

Allen and Hitsugaya made their way to the dining hall where Allen proceeded to order enough food to feed a small army. Then, once Allen had completed his order, Jerry turned expectantly to Hitsugaya however the boy shook his head.

"Nothing for me thanks," he said in a quiet voice before walking over to a table and sitting down.

"Is the little cutie alright?" Jerry asked, a concerned expression on his face as he gazed over at the table where Hitsugaya was sitting.

Allen shook his head. "I'm not really sure what's wrong with him. He's been acting weird ever since our encounter with the Millennium Earl but nothing really happened between the two of them to cause this sudden change in behavior."

"Hmm."

Allen joined his comrade at the table where Hitsugaya had chosen to sit and, once he had finished his meal, he turned questioning gray eyes toward the other boy. "Are you sure that everything's alright Hitsugaya? You've been moody since Vienna."

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya snapped, regaining some of his normal personality as his gaze shifted to the young Exorcist. "Are you finished?"

Allen nodded.

"Then let's go train," Hitsugaya said, getting to his feet and gazing down at his partner.

"Right." Allen knew that there was something bothering his partner but it was becoming painfully obvious that Hitsugaya had absolutely no intention of telling him what the problem was. Oh well, if training would make him feel better then that was what they would do even though all he wanted to do was lay down and sleep for about twenty-four hours. Getting to his feet Allen fell into step behind his partner, who led the way to the facility where they had first sparred.

When the two arrived at the training facility Allen wasted no time activating his Anti-Akuma weapon. The last training session with Hitsugaya had taught him not to fool around, if it had taught him nothing else. Hitsugaya nodded in Allen's direction as he drew Hyourinmaru from it's sheath.

And thus the match commenced.

* * *

The sounds of screaming could be heard echoing down the corridor that led to the training facility and Lavi smiled as he listened. "I'd know those screams anywhere. Sounds like Allen and Toushirou are back from their mission."

Watching their last sparring match had been beyond entertaining and Lavi decided that he'd like to see an encore performance. Grinning ear to ear the red haired Exorcist made his way down the corridor. The door leading into the training facility was closed however as Lavi turned the knob he found that it was unlocked. There was nothing to stop him from entering the room and enjoying the show. "Awesome!"

Lavi stepped into the room and immediately had to dive to the floor to avoid being sliced in half.

"Lavi!" Allen exclaimed, watching as Hitsugaya's blade came within inches of his friend.

Jumping back Hitsugaya shot a glaring look in Lavi's direction before he once again turned to attack Allen.

"That was close," Lavi choked out as he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath and to calm his racing heart. A second later and he would have been turned into minced meat at the hands of that temperamental white haired kid. That didn't factor into his plans for the future in any way, shape, or form and he resolved to be more careful in the future.

Allen blocked the attack that Hitsugaya aimed at him, grateful that Lavi had good reflexes. A second slower and his friend would have been the first casualty of these training sessions. _"Someone is going to end up dead," _he thought to himself as he dashed about, dodging a barrage of blows from his opponent. _"I just know it."_

Hitsugaya fought to maintain his level of concentration while working with Allen on his sword technique but it was hard and took every ounce of willpower that he possessed. He was still haunted by those strange memories and couldn't get them out of his mind.

It was as though he had met the Millennium Earl before.

Was that even possible? He had been dead and residing in Soul Society for years, exactly how many he wasn't sure but it had been a while, so could he possibly know someone from this world?

_"The voice seems so familiar," _the boy mused to himself as he blocked a couple of well placed blows from Allen. _"And it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up."_ That alone was enough to annoy the youth._ "Why?"_

The fact that the Earl's voice elicited a slight tinge of fear angered the young Shinigami. Why was he scared of someone that he didn't even know? Was it possible that this guy just reminded him of someone from his past? Had he encountered someone like the Earl and just not remember it?

Hitsugaya was brought back to the present by the sound of something hitting the floor and his gaze shifted downward. It appeared that Allen had blocked a particularly fierce blow and had been knocked on his backside. Hitsugaya blinked. He hadn't meant to strike so hard.

"Whoa!" Lavi said, whistling softly as he ran over to the spot where Allen was sitting. There was a stunned expression on Allen's face and Lavi was somewhat concerned about him. He looked as though he were on the verge of having a complete nervous breakdown. "He just attacked you like a man possessed. Are you alright Allen?"

"I'm okay," Allen said in a somewhat shaky voice, accepting the hand that Lavi offered to him and allowing his friend to help him to his feet.

"I'm sorry," Hitsugaya muttered, walking over to stand beside Allen. Hitsugaya kept his teal eyed gaze downcast as though he were afraid to look at Allen. "I think we should call it quits for today." And without so much as another word to either Allen or Lavi the young Shinigami sheathed his sword and left the training facility.

"Damn," Lavi said once the smaller boy had left the training facility. "Did you see the look in his eyes before that last attack? He looked deranged."

Allen nodded. For the briefest of moments the gleam in Hitsugaya's teal eyes had looked almost evil and Allen had been amazed at the force he had placed in that last attack. It was as though he were going up against an actual enemy instead of engaged in a training match. That last attack had been meant to cause damage and Allen considered himself lucky that he'd escaped with only a few mental scars and nothing more serious.

"Good thing you blocked it or you would have been toast," Lavi said.

"I know," Allen said, his face paling as he remembered the way that his arms had trembled as he fought to brace his sword against Hitsugaya's attack. Shaking his head and watching as his arm reverted to it's normal form Allen said, "I wonder what's bothering him? He refuses to admit that there's a problem but it's obvious that there is."

"Well maybe he'll talk about it later," Lavi said with a shrug. "But probably not. He seems like the type of guy that preferres to keep his problems to himself."

Allen nodded.

"Well come on," Lavi said, slapping Allen on the shoulders. "You should probably go and rest. I know you must be tired, first a mission and then a sparring match. Get some rest and I'll see you later."

"Alright," Allen said, deciding that getting some rest was a good idea. He had been fatigued before the sparring match but now he was completely exhausted. The young Exorcist hoped that he would grow stronger so that these little matches with Hitsugaya would become easier. "But then he's probably going easy on me so when I get better he'll just use more of his skills."

* * *

"I can't believe I lost control like that," Hitsugaya growled, angry over the fact that he'd spaced out during training. If Allen hadn't blocked that attack then he would have been severely injured if not killed. The young captain vowed to deal with these memories before something bad happened because of them.

"Enough."

A/N - Chapter Eight complete and Hitsugaya almost killed the person he was charged with protecting. That would have been hard to explain to Ukitake. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

The Musician: Well this all seems somewhat suspicious.  
Allen: Hey! Who let you out?  
The Musician: .......  
Toushirou: 'Rolls eyes' I'm surrounded by idiots.  
The Musician: Careful what you say, it could come back to haunt you later.  
Toushirou: Tch


	9. Mission Objective: Find General Cross

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

A/N - this chapter is dedicated to Aoi Faith, the first person to review the last chapter. Thanks so much for all of the reviews that have been given. You guys give me encouragement to keep writing and for that I am grateful. An extra special thank you goes out to Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky for bringing the reviews to this story into the triple digits! I'm so happy.

Chapter Nine - Mission Objective: Find General Cross

A couple of days had passed since Allen and Hitsugaya returned from their mission in Vienna and Hitsugaya had returned to his normal, albeit moody, self. Allen was pleased that his partner had seemed to have resolved whatever it was that had been plaguing him and even his moodiness was better than the way he had been before.

The two youths had been training twice daily, once in the morning and again in the afternoon, and Allen found that his skills were slowly but surely improving. Of course Hitsugaya always emerged victorious but at least his margin of victory was growing smaller.

"One of these days I'm going to win," Allen vowed as his arm reverted to it's normal form. This marked his eighth straight loss and he was beginning to grow frustrated with the situation. He was aware of the fact that he wasn't the best fighter in the world but had always thought of himself as adequate at the very least. Unfortunately when fighting with Hitsugaya all he felt was inferior.

"Keep dreaming," Hitsugaya said as he sheathed Hyourinmaru.

"So now what's on our agenda?" Allen asked as he and his by now constant companion left the training facility and began walking down the corridor that led out into the main hallway.

Hitsugaya shrugged. "You can go and do whatever you want. I'm going to go outside and contact Soul Society and see if they have any new information for me."

"Alright," Allen said with a nod.

So the two white haired youths parted ways with Allen making his way back to his room while Hitsugaya went outside. Once outside Hitsugaya used his flash-step to make his way to a spot where he was certain that no one would over hear his conversation and, when he was sure that he was alone, the young prodigy pulled his communicator from the inside pocket of the strange coat that he was forced to wear.

After pressing a few buttons Hitsugaya was soon in contact with Ukitake.

"Toushirou-kun," the voice of the Head Captain said through the speaker. "It's good to hear from you. So how is your mission going?"

"It's progressing very slowly," Hitsugaya replied honestly, with just a hint of frustration audible in his voice. "We came into contact with the man who controls the Akuma, the Millennium Earl, once however we weren't able to engage him in battle. Other than that we've been mainly training and fighting low level Akuma."

"I see."

"Ukitake. . ."

"What is it Toushirou-kun?"

Hitsugaya paused, unsure about how to proceed. He wanted to ask the Head Captain about the strange memories that he had been experiencing since his encounter with the Millennium Earl but was unsure how exactly to go about asking the question. "How long does it normally take before a soul begins to forget the life that they led while in the world of the living?"

"It varies with each individual soul," Ukitake replied, after having given the question some thought. "But as a general rule normal souls retain their memories better and longer if there was some pressing unresolved issues in their life at the time when they died. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who suffered a great trauma and choose to forget. They lose their memories quickly because they want to."

_"Was that what happened to me?" _Hitsugaya thought to himself. _"Is that why I can't remember my life as a human? Did I choose to forget?_

After the pause during which Hitsugaya was lost in his thoughts Ukitake spoke up again. "Why do you ask? Is Allen-kun beginning to forget?"

"No," Hitsugaya replied quickly, not wanting his superior to know the true reason why he'd asked the question. "I just wanted to know if that was something that I needed to be concerned about."

"No. It should be okay. I would assume that it would take a measure of time before he begins to forget. After all, he has something extremely pressing keeping his memories with him. The outcome of this war is very important to him."

"Thank you Head Captain. I'll be in touch if anything happens."

"Right. Good luck Toushirou-kun and be careful."

"Yes sir."

The talk with Head Captain Ukitake did nothing to help Hitsugaya's problem, not that he had really expected it to. He had known that it would be a long shot when he'd asked the question but despite that prior knowledge he couldn't deny the fact that he was disappointed.

"Guess I'll have to figure it out for myself," he muttered to himself as he placed the communicator back in the pocket of his coat. The young Shinigami Exorcist made his way back to the front entrance and, after a brief pause, the Gatekeeper allowed him entrance.

"There you are Toushirou," Lenalee said, running up to Hitsugaya and seizing him by the hand. "My brother has a mission for you. Come on."

Hitsugaya wasn't used to being manhandled in such a manner however he allowed himself to be pulled along by the young girl and soon he and Lenalee were standing outside Komui's office in the Science Division. Hitsugaya had grown to loathe this part of headquarters and he felt a sense of dread as Lenalee opened the door and shoved him inside.

Allen was seated on the sofa and Hitsugaya quickly joined him there. This was what was expected of him and the boy knew that it would speed things along if he just did what they wanted. For the sake of his mission he would play nice with these guys.

"Welcome Toushirou," Komui called out, taking a sip from the coffee mug that he held in his hand.

Hitsugaya turned to Allen. "Is that a pink rabbit on his cup?"

Allen nodded, a drop of sweat appearing on the side of his forehead.

"I'm slightly disturbed by that," Hitsugaya muttered.

Ignoring the fact that the two boys were talking about his coffee mug Komui handed each of them a black folder which contained the details of their next mission. "The war with the Millennium Earl is growing in intensity since he's now targeting generals. The remaining generals must be protected at all costs and that's where the two of you. . ."

Komui never got the chance to finish that statement.

Opening the folder that he had been given upon entering the office Allen caught a glimpse of a picture and went totally ballistic. The young Exorcist jumped up from his spot on the couch and dashed toward the door, without so much as saying a word to anyone. Apparently Komui had been anticipating this reaction from the boy because two of the members of the Science Division were there to intercept him and prevent his escape.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! Absolutely not!"

"What the hell is the matter with him?" Hitsugaya asked as he watched Allen struggle against the two guys who were forcing him to remain in the office. Allen seemed completely intent on escaping and the two men, both of whom were larger than the scrawny kid, and as a result the scientists seemed to be having a difficult time holding him back.

Komui took another sip of coffee. The Chief of the Science Division was completely calm, as though one of his subordinates wasn't currently trying to escape. "The man that you're being sent to search for is Allen's master, General Cross Marian."

"I refuse! You can't make me!"

"From what we've been able to gather Allen's time with General Cross was. . . difficult," Komui explained, still ignoring the boy who was fighting for freedom on the other side of the office. "However there isn't anyone who knows the general as well as he does so there really isn't anyone else that we can send."

"I see," Hitsugaya muttered, more to himself than to Chief Komui.

"But I don't wanna see Master!"

"Walker!" Hitsugaya snapped, instantly gaining Allen's attention. This was the first time that Hitsugaya had ever called him by his last name and the commanding tone of his voice made the young Exorcist take notice.

Allen stopped fighting against Reever and Russell and gazed over at Hitsugaya. There was an intense expression in the young Shinigami's teal eyes and Allen nodded, catching the unspoken meaning. If he wanted to defeat the Millennium Earl and protect his friends then he had no choice but to track down his master. No matter how much he hated the thought of seeing him again.

"Right," he said as he walked back over to the sofa.

It was obvious, from the look on his face, that Komui was shocked by this exchange between the two boys but he played it off. "You leave in the morning so I would advise the two of you to get a good night's sleep. Oh and Allen. . ."

"Yes?"

"I've informed the Gatekeeper that you're not allowed to leave the premises until morning," Komui said, a gleam in his eyes. "And the guards at the underground tunnel have been given the same set of instructions. So don't even try to run away."

"Right," Allen muttered, his gray eyes downcast.

Together Allen and Hitsugaya left the Science Division and made their way to the dining hall. It seemed to Hitsugaya that they spent a large amount of time there when they were at the Order. Allen seemed to be a bottomless pit and he never got enough food.

"Shinigami for sure," the young captain muttered to himself.

Once the two boys were seated, as far away from anyone else as the room allowed, Hitsugaya turned his attention to Allen once more. "So tell me about your master."

That request served to make Allen almost, and I repeat almost, lose his appetite. As it was he slowed dramatically as he thought back to those hellish years that he had spent under the tutelage of General Cross Marian. "Master is. . . master is different."

"Different?" Hitsugaya repeated, a confused expression in his teal eyes.

Allen nodded. "He drinks a lot, hangs out with a lot of women, and racks up massive debts that he never pays." Allen shivered involuntarily as he thought back to his days with Cross. "I was the one who was always accosted by the debt collectors and I had to learn to gamble in order to pay off his debts."

This man Cross sounded a lot like a certain captain that Hitsugaya knew back in Soul Society and he found himself sympathizing with the young Exorcist. It was obvious that he was somewhat haunted by those days of training and now he was going to have to track down his master and possibly relive them.

And what was worse was the fact that Hitsugaya had to go with him.

_"Why is it always me?"_ he thought to himself, shaking his head. Seriously he always got the assignments that no one else wanted to accept.

"The problem is that I have no idea where to even begin looking for Master," Allen said as he finished off the last morsel of food. "The last time I saw him was in India but I seriously doubt that he's still there. He likes to keep moving so that the people he owes money to have a harder time tracking him down. It works but it's going to make our lives more difficult."

"It can't be helped," Hitsugaya said with a shrug, running a hand through his unruly white hair. "If we're lucky we'll run into the Millennium Earl while we're searching for General Cross and then we can end this once and for all."

"Maybe," Allen said although he didn't sound convinced. That would be way to easy and in his experience dealing with the Earl was never that simple. No, their search was going to be a long one and the battle was going to be fierce. It wasn't that he thought they couldn't win the war it was just that he knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Well we should probably get some rest," Hitsugaya suggested as he got to his feet. "If this is going to be as difficult as you think then we'll definitely need it."

Allen nodded. "Good idea."

"Hey bean sprout!"

"Don't call me that!" Allen and Hitsugaya shouted in unison.

Lavi held up his hands in surrender. He really should know not to say things like that in front of the white haired wonders but for some reason he just couldn't help himself. It was just too easy to pick on the two of them and he couldn't resist. "I just heard from Lenalee that you guys are leaving on a mission tomorrow."

Allen nodded, looking defeated.

"Well good luck," Lavi said in a cheerful voice. "And don't let General Cross get you down."

All Allen could do was shake his head as Lavi messed up Hitsugaya's hair and then fled the scene before the young Shinigami had the chance to strike. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes in irritation but made no move to give chase. Instead he turned to Allen. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Right."

And with these words the two youths parted ways, hoping to get a good night's rest before they had to set off in search of General Cross Marian. The mission would more than likely be rough but they were determined to be prepared for whatever came up.

The mission objective was to find General Cross Marian.

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter and poor Allen has been assigned to track down his master. Will the two boys be able to find the general and what will they discover when and if they do? To find out the answers stay tuned. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. The Musician wants to know.

Allen: I really don't wanna find Master.  
Toushirou: I really don't wanna find him either.  
The Musician: I really don't blame you.  
Allen: HEY!


	10. Departure

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach, just having a little fun with the characters.

A/N - this chapter is dedicated to Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, who was the first person to review the last chapter. I would like to thank all those who have reviewed and helped me to reach triple digit reviews! The Musician is pleased.

Chapter Ten - Departure

Hitsugaya awoke early the next morning and, after a brief workout to stretch his muscles, the young captain got dressed in the cloths that he had been given by the Order. His new wardrobe was comprised of black trousers, white button up shirt with a black string tied at the throat and the black and white coat that bore the crest of the Black Order.

Then, once he was dressed, Hitsugaya left his quarters and made his way to the room that belonged to Allen. Hitsugaya knocked lightly on the door and, seconds later, he heard, "Come in." Pulling the handle Hitsugaya entered the room and saw that Allen was doing push ups with one thumb.

Pushing off with his thumb Allen flipped and landed upright. "So I take it that you're ready to leave?"

Hitsugaya nodded. "I thought we could have breakfast and then depart."

"Good plan."

Together Hitsugaya and Allen made their way down to the dining hall where Jerry was more than happy to fix them a large breakfast as a parting gift. Lenalee joined them soon after they sat down and she once again had to marvel at their voracious appetites.

"Truly an amazing sight isn't it?"

"Hey Lavi," Lenalee called out as the red haired youth joined them.

Both Allen and Hitsugaya shot Lavi a dirty look however neither of the white haired youths ceased eating to reply verbally. They merely continued with their meal however if looks were enough to kill then Lavi would have dropped dead immediately.

"Are you causing trouble with your big mouth?"

"Hey panda!" Lavi called out as an old man walked over to the table. The man was dressed in the same black coat as the other Exorcists however there was something different about him. Hitsugaya couldn't figure out what it was but this old man definitely wasn't like the others, of that he was sure.

The old man walked over to Lavi and immediately smacked him on the top of the head. "I told you not to call me a panda you half-wit!"

"Hey!" Lavi exclaimed as he rubbed the spot on his head where the old man had struck him. "That hurt you old geezer!"

"Not as bad as it's going to if you don't shut your trap," the man threatened, holding up his fist once more. "And stop calling me old!" Lavi's eyes widened and he quickly backed away from the old man, knowing that his master did not make idle threats. The old man turned away from his apprentice and locked his gaze on Hitsugaya. "Forgive my apprentice, his mouth works faster than his brain. You must be the new Exorcist that Komui was telling me about."

The young Shinigami nodded. "Toushirou Hitsugaya."

"You can call me Bookman," the old man said, nodding in the youth's direction before making his way across the dining hall.

"Okay," Hitsugaya said, watching as the old man walked away.

"The bookmen record history that normally wouldn't make it into the history books," Lavi explained once he was certain that his master was out of hearing range. "I'm in training to become one right now and we're working with the Exorcists so that we can record the accounts of the war."

A few minutes passed in silence while Allen and Hitsugaya finished their meals and then the two youths got to their feet. Both already had suitcases and Allen turned to Lenalee. "I guess we'll be going now. The sooner we find Master, the better."

"Good luck," Lenalee said cheerfully.

Allen waved over his shoulder as he and Hitsugaya left the dining hall, with Timcanpy flying along between them. "So," Hitsugaya said as the two youths made their way down the corridor that would lead them to the underground entrance. "You have absolutely no idea where to find this guy Cross right?"

A shadow crossed over Allen's face as he shook his head, answering the question in the affirmative.

"Well then," Hitsugaya said, not the slightest bit deterred by this knowledge. He honestly hadn't expected anything different from Allen. "Pick a destination. The most likely place for him to be. Somewhere that he would want to return to."

Allen thought about the situation for a few minutes, racking his brain in an attempt to come up with something, and then he turned his attention back to his traveling companion. "I guess we should try Liverpool first. Master and I went there more than other places."

"Is there someone there that he knows?" Hitsugaya asked.

A blush rose to color Allen's face as he rubbed the back of his head. "Other than bill collectors there's a lady there that Master went to visit any time that we were there."

"Right," Hitsugaya said, not even remotely interested in why the general had gone to visit the woman. Not that he didn't already have a pretty good idea due to the blush that was coloring the other boy's face. "Liverpool it is then."

Allen nodded and together the two youths departed the headquarters of the Black Order. Neither was especially looking forward to this trip however both were resigned to it. They had been ordered to find Cross and if it brought them closer to their goal of defeating the Millennium Earl then they would do it despite how much the thought annoyed one and terrorized the other.

Before long Hitsugaya once again found himself seated on a train and he had to admit that he was really beginning to despise this method of transportation. It would be so much faster if they used the Senkaimon to travel from place to place but no, they had to travel as normal humans. Which neither of them was and, Hitsugaya was beginning to suspect, never had been.

"Hey Hitsugaya," Allen said, his gaze locked on the smaller boy.

"What is it?"

"I was just curious about what it's like in Soul Society," Allen said. Now that they were alone in their private car he felt that it was safe to ask this question. He had been thinking about it a lot since Hitsugaya had told him that he was no longer a part of this world.

"Depends on who you are," Hitsugaya replied honestly. There was no point in lying to the boy. "Normal souls are sent to the Rukongai, which is terrible as long as you end up in one of the upper districts. The higher the number the more difficult life there is. And then there's the Seireitei, which is by far the most pleasant place to live, and is where the Shinigami live."

"I see," Allen said.

Hitsugaya could tell that Allen was concerned about how his life would change once he went to Soul Society. "Don't worry about it. We have more pressing things to deal with right now."

"Right."

Hitsugaya returned to his meditation but that didn't last long as Allen posed another question to him. "So what exactly are we supposed to do once we find Master?" There was a somewhat sheepish expression on the young Exorcist's face as he asked this question. "I was too busy having a nervous breakdown to hear what Chief Komui said."

"We're supposed to bring him back to headquarters," Hitsugaya replied. "Preferably alive."

Allen's eyes widened as he heard this last part. "What?"

"I'm fairly certain that Komui was joking when he added that part," Hitsugaya said, touching the hilt of the sword that he was currently holding in his lap. "But I make no guarantees."

Suddenly completely exhausted Allen slumped in his seat. This was turning out to be more than he bargained for and he was beginning to wonder if this was what Hell was like. _"That's it," _the youth thought as his tortured mind called forth an image of his Master. _"I'm in Hell."_

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Do you really think that those kids will be able to track down General Cross, Chief?" Reever asked as he carried yet another stack of documents into the office of the Supervisor. "And that they'll be able to bring him back even if they do."

"Maybe," Komui said, lifting his coffee mug and taking a sip. He was exhausted from pulling an all nighter and really needed a caffeine fix right now. And the sight of all of the paperwork that Reever was carrying did absolutely nothing to improve upon his mood.

"I know!" he suddenly exclaimed, startling Reever and causing him to drop the stack of papers. "Pick those up Section Leader Reever," he ordered as he practically danced toward the door. "I'll go and see my sweet sister Lenalee! That ought to cheer me up."

"But Chief. . ."

The cry fell upon seemingly deaf ears and Reever sighed as he began picking up the papers. Chief Komui had waltzed out the door as though he didn't have a care in the world, leaving him to clean up the mess and more than likely complete the paperwork.

It just wasn't fair.

With a broad smile on his face Komui bounded down the hallway, practically running into Kanda who was traveling in the opposite direction. "Watch where you're going," the Japanese Exorcist exclaimed angrily, glaring daggers at his superior.

"Sorry Kanda," Komui said, bowing in apology. "I was just in a hurry cause I'm off to see my sweet Lenalee."

"She's not here," Kanda said in an irritated tone as he straightened his coat.

"What do you mean she isn't here?" Komui demanded, whirling back to face the young Exorcist. There was a somewhat demented expression on his face as he asked about his sister. He didn't like it when she wasn't around and he liked it even less when he didn't know where she was.

"She and the rabbit left earlier," Kanda called out over his shoulder. "Said that they were going into town for a couple of hours."

"WHAT?!" Komui exclaimed, a look of complete and utter horror appearing on his face as he envisioned his sweet little sister with that red headed menace. "How could you my sweet sister? Dating Lavi and not even telling me? That's horrible!"

"Oh no," Russell said as he listened to the anguished screams of his boss.

"That spells trouble," Reever exclaimed, jumping to his feet and once again dropping the paperwork that he had just managed to pick up from the floor. He knew that he needed to get to the Chief before he did something foolish.

Something that involved Sir Komlin the 38th or whatever the hell number they were currently on.

Minutes later Komui found himself tied to the chair in his office. Several members of the Science Division had forcibly dragged him there and then made completely sure that he couldn't leave. "I'm going to kill that rabbit! Let me go!"

"Calm down Chief," Reever said. "I'm sure it's not what you're thinking."

"But how could Lenalee not have told me that she and Lavi were. . . were dating?" Komui howled as though he were in utter agony.

"Because we're not!" Lenalee said, walking over to the spot where her brother was bound and kicking him on the head. "I had to go to town to pick up something and Lavi came along in case any Akuma showed up. Geez brother you're such an idiot."

"My sweet sister," Komui said.

"Ugh."

"Alright guys," Komui said, regaining his composure and reverting back to his serious side. "Now that I know that Lenalee's not off somewhere with Lavi you can untie me now."

"No," Russell said with a smirk.

"I think we have you right where we want you," Reever added, walking forward with the stack of paperwork that he'd picked up from the floor for a second time. The Section Leader untied one of Komui's hands and then stood back smirking. "We'll let you up once you've finished with these documents."

"But that's not fair!" Komui protested loudly. "Help me Lenalee."

"Oh listen," Lenalee said, placing her hand to her ear as though she heard something off in the distance. "I think Lavi's calling me. See you later brother."

"NO!" Komui screamed as his sister left the office.

A/N - and there's chapter ten and Allen and Hitsu weren't even in half of it. Oh well, just trying to diversify things a little bit. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you think. And as always, if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know. **Contest! For all those interested, the first person who guesses what's up with Hitsugaya can request a one shot of their choice. Let the game begin! The results will be announced once everything has been revealed so I'm not going to tell you if you get it right. Sorry.**

Komui: I can't believe it! My sweet Lenalee and... Lavi!  
Lavi: STRIKE!  
Komui: WHY?!  
Allen, Toushirou, and The Musician: Idiots.


	11. Target of the Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Eleven - Target of the Noah

The phone in the corner rang and a man with unruly dark hair and strange looking glasses immediately answered it. The man stayed on the phone for a couple of minutes before saying, "I understand." The man then placed the receiver down and turned to face his friends.

"Let me guess Tyki, you've got another secret job?"

The man named Tyki nodded. "Sorry guys. I'll have to catch up with you later."

"Right," his friends said. "See you later Tyki."

Tyki waved his hand over his shoulder as he left the modest place where he stayed with his friends while he was in his 'white' persona. Making his way casually down the street his thoughts were bouncing around like a pinball. What reason could the Millennium Earl have for summoning him? Would the mission take long? Would it even be a mission at all? He wouldn't be happy if he had been asked to leave his friends for no reason.

"Nice to see you again," a voice called out from a shadowy alley way. "Sir Tyki Mikk."

"Always a pleasure," Tyki said as he stepped into the shadows and assumed his 'black' persona. His shabby clothes disappeared, replaced by a tuxedo while the strange glasses that he wore dissolved into nothingness. His skin turned ashen and seven black diamond shaped stigmata appeared across his forehead. Brushing back his hair he placed the top hat that had appeared in his hand on top of his head, completing the look. "Lord Millennium."

"The family is assembling for a meal," the Millennium Earl said as Tyki came to stand beside him. "We should hurry and join them."

"As you wish," Tyki said politely.

The Millennium Earl nodded and together the two traveled to the Earl's headquarters and from there into the dining room. It seemed to Tyki that this was the room where they spent the vast majority of their time, which was made pointedly obvious by the size of the Millennium Earl's stomach.

All of the other members of the Noah Clan were already assembled around the table and Tyki took his customary spot next to Road Kamelot. She smiled as she gazed over at him. "Hey Tyki, you wanna play later?"

"Probably not," Tyki said in an almost bored tone of voice. "Why don't you play with Lero or something?"

Far from put off by this blatant dismissal Road actually offered Tyki a broad smile. "That's a great idea."

A group of Akuma dressed in maid uniforms served the meal and for awhile no one spoke, except for Skin once again complaining that his food wasn't sweet enough. Tyki rolled his eyes as Skin once again began to beat the snot out of the offending Akuma. Honestly, couldn't the man even fake having manners? Was one peaceful dinner really too much to ask?

Once he had finished his meal the Earl's gaze swept across each of the table's occupants in turn. These were his children, the chosen ones with whom he would overthrow God. "Alright everyone. Now that we're all full and contented I think that it's time that we got down to the business at hand."

"And what might that be?" Road asked, being one of the few Noah who dared to be so informal with their leader. As the First Child everyone knew that she was the Millennium Earl's favorite and she never failed to use this status to her advantage, doing things that the others would never dare.

The Millennium Earl held up two seemingly normal playing cards, one in each hand. The Noah all stared at the cards for a minute but when the Earl flipped them around to the other side their meaning became crystal clear. On each card was the face of a white haired youth. One of them, Allen Walker, was already well known among the Noah however the second youth was a mystery.

"Who's the other child Lord Millennium?" Tyki asked.

"My sources have told me that his name is Toushirou Hitsugaya and that he is a new comer to the Black Order," the Earl explained to his children. "These two have become a real bother as of late and I think that it's time that they were eliminated."

"Does this mean that Jasdevi gets to go out and kill?" Jasdero asked hopefully, holding up a little golden pistol.

"Yes... yes... yes..." Devit added, holding a golden pistol identical to the one that Jasdero had.

"Do you really think that it will take a Noah to bring down two children?" Skin asked, sticking a spoon into the newest dessert that he had been given by one of the Akuma maids.

"Do not underestimate these two children," the Earl said, his gaze once again shifting back and forth between his chosen children. "They may be young but they have already destroyed countless Level One and Level Two Akuma. Allen Walker has even killed Level Three Akuma as well as having escaped my grasp not once but twice."

The assembled group all gazed at their leader, shocked by this admission.

"Alright!" Road exclaimed, jumping up into her chair and twirling around. "This is gonna be so much fun."

"I'm glad that you think so," the Earl said, offering the First Child an indulgent smile. "Because you and Tyki are going to search for and eliminate the two of them. I've heard that they travel together and I witnessed that first hand. I suspect that if you find one then you will find the other."

"Yay!" Road leapt from her chair and seized Tyki by the hand. "Let's go Tyki! This is gonna be so much fun! I'm so excited!"

Tyki was less excited however he bowed to the Millennium Earl and allowed Road to lead him from the room. If those two children had to be eliminated so that he could go back to his 'white' persona then so be it. He would track them down and they would be nothing more than food for the Tease.

Tyki was suddenly jarred from his thoughts by a tug on the sleeve of his tuxedo. Shifting his gaze downward he noticed that Road was gazing up at him and he also noticed that she was carrying a very familiar, and very annoying, umbrella. "Must you bring him?"

"Yes," Road said, offering Tyki what was supposed to be a winning smile. "It's more fun with Lero around."

"I hope, Lero that you got the Earl's permission, Lero."

"It doesn't matter if I have his permission or not," Road said, absently swinging the umbrella around in a circle. This caused the pumpkin head on the end of it to scream in protest but Road paid no attention. "Lord Millennium could never be mad at me."

"Lero."

"Let's just go and get this over with," Tyki said.

"Fine," Road huffed.

* * *

The trip to Liverpool was wholly uneventful and Allen and Hitsugaya arrived there on schedule. The two youths stretched their arms over their heads, to work out the kinks caused by the long travel, and then began walking. Allen took the lead because he was familiar with the city from his days with General Cross and Hitsugaya fell into step beside him.

"This is annoying," Hitsugaya muttered as Allen led the way through the streets of the English city. People were staring at him and his companion and Hitsugaya found that he did not like it in the slightest. Were they really that unusual? I mean it was true that they both had white hair and yet otherwise appeared young but were these people's lives really that boring?

Allen shrugged. He was used to being stared at by strangers since he had been enduring it his entire life. "You get used to it."

"Well," Hitsugaya growled. "I don't want to get used to it. I want to find Cross and get the hell out of here."

Allen sighed. If only it would turn out to be that simple but in his heart he knew that it wouldn't. Nothing involving his master was ever easy and this would be no exception. After all, Cross had tons of practice avoiding debt collectors, as well as the Black Order, and as a result had become incredibly skilled at covering his tracks.

"Why couldn't Master have just kept in touch with the Order?" Allen complained as he and Hitsugaya walked. "I mean, he does work for them after all."

"He sounds like a selfish person, this Master of yours," Hitsugaya commented.

Allen nodded.

* * *

Walking through a large town and on the look out for ladies and Akuma, in that order, General Cross Marian suddenly began to sneeze uncontrollably. "What the hell?" the General exclaimed as he covered his mouth with a gloved hand. This was incredibly odd since he hadn't been sick for as long as he could remember.

"Oh well," he said, shrugging off his sudden affliction. "I've been sober for entirely too long. I've got to find a drink and preferably a beautiful woman to share it with."

And with this thought in mind Cross began searching for the nearest bar, or for that matter any place that sold liquor, he wasn't that picky. He had frequented some pretty bad places in his lifetime so it wouldn't be the first time he visited a dive so that he could get a drink.

Unfortunately his funds were limited since he no longer had his idiot apprentice to pay the bills so, once he got his drink, he would have to move on to the next town in a hurry. If he didn't then someone was bound to cause trouble for him and he simply wasn't in the mood for a fight.

* * *

Leaving the headquarters that were maintained by the Earl, Tyki and Road began their travels in search of Allen Walker and Toushirou Hitsugaya. Tyki just wanted to get the assignment over with so that he could return to his 'white' persona but Road on the other hand was looking forward to having some fun with the two boys before they were killed.

"I haven't had any fun is such a long time," Road whined, once again twirling Lero around over her head. The pumpkin screamed out his protests over the way that he was being treated however neither of the Noah were listening. Road enjoyed tormenting him and Tyki had long sense learned to block out the obnoxious noise made when the umbrella spoke.

"So do you have any idea where the two of them are?" Road asked once she'd grown tired of tormenting Lero.

Tyki shrugged. "They shouldn't be too hard to find. We'll send out a group of Level One Akuma to track them down."

"You're so smart," Road said.

"I'm not doing your homework again," Tyki said to which Road replied by sticking her tongue out at him. "Stop acting so childish."

This was rewarded by another face.

"Fine," Tyki said. "Do whatever you want."

To this Road smiled and grabbed Tyki by the sleeve of his tuxedo. "Let's hurry and find them Tyki so that I'll have someone to play with."

"Right," Tyki said, knowing that if they found the two boys then Road would be too busy fighting with them to give him a hard time. That almost made this mission worth it in his eyes. Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket he pulled out the two cards that Lord Millennium had given him, each bearing the picture of one of their targets.

"Let's go and inform the Akuma of who they are to find."

"Yay!" Road exclaimed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands together. Unfortunately she seemed to forget that she was holding Lero and the umbrella fell to the ground with a thump.

"Oww! Lero!"

"Oops," Road said, laughing despite the fact that she'd dropped the pumpkin on his head. "Sorry about that Lero."

"Le. . . ro. . ."

A/N - and here's chapter eleven and Allen and Toushirou only made a cameo appearance. That seems kinda wrong but then we have to give the bad guys some 'screen time' so to speak. And even though Tyki's one of the bad guys and tries to kill Allen, I still kinda like him. He's schizo. And even Cross made a cameo appearance. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Tyki: I can't believe that I have to do this.  
Road: Oh come on Tyki-pon. It'll be fun.  
Tyki: Don't call me that.  
The Musician: Tyki-pon... how hilarious! 'laughs hysterically'  
Tyki: Who the hell are you?  
The Musician: You don't know me? Now my feelings have been hurt. I'm leaving... Tyki-pon


	12. Searching and Searched For

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Twelve - Searching and Searched For

The trip to Liverpool turned out to be a complete waste of time for the two youths who were out searching for General Cross Marian. They hadn't found so much as one sign that he'd ever visited the city and, as a result, no clues as to his current whereabouts. And on top of everything else bad that had happened to them thus far they were now engaged in a battle with a huge group of Akuma. This was the most Akuma that Allen had seen grouped together at once and they immediately attacked him and his companion.

They were on the outskirts of town when they were ambushed by the Akuma, who were attempting to masquerade as humans. Of course this didn't fool either of them since they both had the ability to see the souls that were trapped inside the Akuma.

"Give it up," Allen said as his eye began to glow red. "There's no way you can deceive my eye. Innocence Activate!"

When they saw that their plan to take the two Exorcists by surprise the Akuma assumed their true forms and immediately aimed their guns at the two young boys.

"Great," Hitsugaya groaned. He made a move to use his Gikongan to emerge from his gigai however the Akuma attacked him before he had the chance. Growling low in his throat in annoyance Hitsugaya pulled Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore secured across his back. There was nothing for it. He would simply have to fight the Akuma while still in his gigai.

It was an annoyance but far from impossible. Especially with the caliber of gigai that Captain Urahara produced.

"It seems as though we're a magnet for trouble," Allen said with a small laugh as he held up his sword. "And all because we have to find Master."

"I can't believe that we wasted all that time for nothing," Hitsugaya growled as he used Hyourinmaru to slice through a group of Akuma that had suddenly appeared and attacked him and his traveling companion. The woman that Cross was acquainted with didn't have the slightest idea where he was currently hiding and as a result they had wasted all of that time.

Allen didn't comment as he used his own Innocence sword to take out a second group of Akuma. He had pretty much known that finding Cross wouldn't be that easy and, although he was disappointed, he wasn't the least bit surprised.

The skies behind the two youths turned the color of fire as the Akuma exploded behind them. Both Allen and Hitsugaya landed lightly on the ground and the young Shinigami sheathed his sword while Allen's Innocence reverted to it's normal form.

"How long are we going to have to keep fighting these weaklings?" Hitsugaya grumbled as he sheathed Hyourinmaru and returned to his gigai.

Allen shrugged. "Until we defeat the Millennium Earl I guess."

That was not the answer that Hitsugaya wanted to hear and yet he knew that Allen was more than likely correct. These Akuma wouldn't stop chasing them until the Millennium Earl had been defeated and that knowledge only served to increase Hitsugaya's foul mood. "Well come on. We should probably attempt to cover some ground before the next wave of those damn things arrives."

"Right," Allen said.

Having discovered that Liverpool was a lost cause the two youths had left and searched other cities in England, all of which turned out to be dead ends. Now they were making their way across Europe in the hopes of coming across a lead that would help them in their search for General Cross.

"So annoying," Hitsugaya thought to himself as they walked.

When they finally found General Cross it was going to prove very hard for him to not kick the guy in the side of the head. Forcing them to endure all of this annoyance simply because he didn't want to be tracked down by the people he owed money to or the people that he worked for.

"Ugh."

Allen couldn't help but smile at his companion's annoyance. Hitsugaya was really annoyed with the low level Akuma that were constantly attacking them and had actually stated on one occasion that if they were going to be pursued the Millennium Earl could at least have the decency to send someone stronger.

Timcanpy was flying around his head however the little golem suddenly decided that he needed a break. And instead of landing on Allen's head like he normally did, the little guy landed right on top of Hitsugaya's unruly white hair.

"What the. . ." Hitsugaya exclaimed, feeling the strange weight on his head.

"I guess Tim likes you," Allen said with a smile.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes yet made no attempt to remove the little golem from his head. Seeing that he wasn't about to be displaced Timcanpy settled down, wrapping his long tail around the neck of his new perch. Allen smiled at the irritated look that appeared on Hitsugaya's face but knew enough not to say anything.

* * *

"Ty. . . ki," Road whined as she and her companion made their way through England. "When are we going to find them? I'm so bored I'm gonna die."

"You're not going to die," Tyki said calmly. "And we'll find them when we find them. Now stop whining."

Road stuck her tongue out at him and began twirling Lero over her head. This had turned into her favorite past time since the Millennium Earl had given them the assignment to track down Allen and Hitsugaya. After all, there wasn't anything better to do.

"We've received word from some of our Akuma that the two boys were spotted in Liverpool," Tyki said in his customary, calm voice. "And we have to go and check it out."

"Oh alright," Road said, sounding less than enthusiastic. She wouldn't be happy until she was fighting with those two boys. That was going to be fun and she couldn't wait. Literally. The wait was beginning to drive her insane and even tormenting Lero had lost some of it's appeal.

Hoping forward, a few steps away from Tyki, Road began to sing, an eerie little tune of his own design. "The Lord Millennium is in search of you. Looking for the heart now, have you heard the news. . ."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Headquarters for the Black Order, Chief Komui had received word from a group of finders stationed in Barcelona that a large group of Akuma was heading direction toward the city. This was bad news because one of the four remaining Generals, General Tiedoll, was rumored to be somewhere in Spain. One general had already been killed and if the Millennium Earl was targeting them, as the Order suspected, then General Tiedoll would be in danger.

"Send word to all Exorcists," Komui ordered. "If they are not currently working a case that involves known Innocence then they are to change course immediately and head to Barcelona. We must protect the Generals and the Innocence that they possess."

"Yes sir!" the scientists all chorused. With this order fresh in their minds the group of men quickly made their way to the many phones that were located in the Science Division. Each of them took it upon themselves to contact one of the Exorcists who were away on assignment and give them the new orders.

It was of the utmost importance that they send these orders as quickly as possible so that the Akuma who were descending upon the city could be stopped and the General could be protected.

"We must protect General Tiedoll," Komui thought to himself, a mental image of the artistic general appearing in his mind's eye. This was the general who had trained Kanda, among many others. "Make sure that Kanda knows what's going on."

"Right," Reever said, hanging up the phone and then immediately picking it back up.

If the Black Order lost another of it's generals then the outcome would most assuredly be disastrous. The generals were charged with finding Innocence and Accommodators for said Innocence. Without them then the mission to find new Exorcists would take a major hit.

"That must not happen."

* * *

Hitsugaya and Allen were walking along a lonely road, both silent and absorbed in their own thoughts, when Timcanpy suddenly moved from his chosen perch on Hitsugaya's head and began fluttering around the two youths. "What is it Tim?" Allen questioned.

Timcanpy opened his mouth and Allen heard the voice of Section Leader Reever. But it was distorted, as though the little golem was picking up the signal from another golem. "Attention all available Exorcists! A large group of Akuma has been sighted heading to the Spanish city of Barcelona. General Tiedoll is rumored to be in that area and he must be protected at all costs."

Upon hearing these words Allen turned his attention back to Hitsugaya. "We should go there. It's not that far from here, relatively speaking, and it seems more important than tracking down Master Cross."

"Very well," Hitsugaya said as Timcanpy once again settled on top of his hair.

So when the two boys came to a fork in the road they took the path marked Barcelona. They couldn't see the city from where they were however Allen judged that they should be able to reach the city by nightfall tomorrow if they hurried.

At that moment the two youths heard the sound of a wagon approaching them and they instinctively shifted their gazes in that direction. Their searching gazes fell upon a covered wagon traveling toward them and neither boy sensed the presence of an Akuma.

That was a good sign.

The driver of the covered wagon pulled the team of horses to a halt as he pulled up alongside the two white haired youths dressed in black. "Hello," he said as he gazed down at the two children. "Where are you boys headed?"

"To Barcelona sir," Allen replied politely, always the gentleman.

"Well hop in," the man said, offering them a smile. "As it just so happens that's where I'm heading myself. That's a long way to walk."

"Thank you so much," Allen said, offering the man a bow before he and Hitsugaya clambered up into the back of the wagon. It was so nice of the man to offer them a ride and just in time to. He was beginning to fear that his legs were going to fall off.

And on top of that he was starving.

"Thanks again for offering to give us a ride," Allen said to the driver, in an attempt to divert his attention from the fact that he was starving and hopefully to keep the others from hearing the rumbling of his stomach. It was complaining loudly about the serious lack of nourishment.

"Oh it's no problem," the man said. "I'm grateful for the company. After all, I've been by myself for several weeks and it'll be nice to have someone to talk to for a change."

Allen glanced briefly at Hitsugaya, hoping that his rather gruff companion didn't do something to ruin this. The young Shinigami however had fallen fast asleep, leaning up against the side of the wagon with Timcanpy still perched on top of his head.

"I guess I'm the one doing the talking," Allen thought to himself with a smile. Leaving his companion to sleep Allen climbed up front with the driver and the two of them passed their time with idle chat. Considering the man's kindness offering him some company was the least that Allen could do.

And on top of that it helped to occupy his mind and keep him from dwelling on the fact that he and Hitsugaya now had not one mission but two. They had to fight the Akuma that were traveling to Barcelona plus on top of that find Cross.

A/N - and there's chapter twelve and Allen and Hitsugaya are on their way to Barcelona to fight the horde of Akuma. And the two members of the Noah Clan, Road and Tyki, are on their way to fight with the two white haired youths. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you thought.

Toushirou: Why does the little golden ball like me so much?  
Allen: 'shrugs' I don't know. Guess it has something to do with your magnetic personality.  
Timcanpy: ...........  
The Musician: 'Breaks up fight before the two main characters kill one another.'


	13. Battle for Barcelona

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach, just having a little fun with the characters.

Chapter Thirteen - Battle for Barcelona

"Have you received word from anyone from the Order?" the Finder in charge of the contingency that was guarding Barcelona barked out to one of his men. He couldn't see the large group of Akuma that were traveling toward the city but he had received reports from the Finders who were monitoring the situation and he knew that they were close. They were moving slow, it was true, however it was only a matter of time before they reached the city and he had to admit that he was scared. From the reports that he had received from his men he estimated that they would be upon the city by nightfall.

They didn't stand a chance against the looming attack unless some Exorcists arrived and he knew it. And yet despite this knowledge he and his men would do what they could to protect the citizens of the city. They may not be able to fight the Akuma but they had their ways of stalling them.

All the had to do was stall them long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Hopefully they would be able to because if they didn't. . . The captain shook his head, riding himself of that disturbing thought. It didn't bear thinking on.

* * *

Having received the order to travel to Barcelona Kanda was on his way to the Spanish city, a scowl on his face. He would go, because he had been ordered to, but that didn't mean that he would be happy about it. The word from the Order was that General Tiedoll was somewhere in this region and that the Akuma were most likely after him and the Innocence that he possessed.

In all honesty Kanda had no desire what so ever to see that man again. It was all he could do to endure the training when he had first became an Exorcist. "I can't believe this," he thought to himself as he dashed down a road that was lined on both sides by trees.

The jingling of a bell suddenly rang out.

Kanda drew up short, his hand instantly going to the handle of his sword. He didn't see anyone however he could still hear the sound of the bell and he needed to be prepared in case the noise was being made by an Akuma.

"Yu!"

Kanda groaned as he heard the familiar voice, along with the sound of the bell growing louder. He released his grip on Mugen though he didn't want to. This guy wasn't an Akuma however his presence was far from wanted. A man dressed in a white trimmed black coat landed lightly on the ground a few feet from the spot where Kanda was standing. His hood was pulled up over his head and there was a small bell attached to the tip of it.

"Yo!" he said as he focused his gaze on Kanda.

"Daisya," Kanda said in an irritated voice, nodding ever so slightly in acknowledgement of the Exorcist who had also been trained by General Tiedoll.

The Exorcist named Daisya offered Kanda a smile. He was used to the man's grumpy nature and it didn't phase him in the least. "So I take it that you're here to look for the old man too?"

"I have been assigned to search for General Tiedoll," Kanda said in a dignified voice. "And to stop the Akuma who want to harm him."

"Always so stuffy," Daisya said with a chuckled. "Well come on then. We may as well travel together. When dealing with a huge group of Akuma two Exorcists are better than one."

"Very well," Kanda said, which was a tribute to just how dire the situation was.

* * *

"How many of these things can there possibly be?" Allen asked as he and Hitsugaya finished a battle with no less than thirty Akuma. The remains of the weapons lay in smoldering heaps all along the road and the two boys sighed. Allen had told the man who was giving them a ride to flee when the Akuma had appeared and he had obliged the request.

That action had kept him out of harm's way, as well as kept him from being a liability to them during the battle, but now that he was gone they were back to walking. "Oh well," the taller of the two boys said with a sigh. "At least we're almost there."

"Let's go," Hitsugaya said, sheathing his sword.

"Right."

* * *

Kanda and Daisya were unable to track down General Tiedoll before reaching the city of Barcelona and unfortunately they knew that there wasn't going to be time to go back and take a second look. The Akuma could now be seen heading toward the city in mass numbers and, since they were the only Exorcists around, the two disciples of Tiedoll knew that they would have to fight for the city alone.

"Let's go," Daisya said, pulling the small bell from the tip of his hood.

Kanda nodded, unsheathing the sword that he wore secured across his back.

The two Exorcists split up and prepared to battle the Akuma. The Finders were also prepared for battle, equipped with the barrier machine that would allow them to capture and paralyze the Akuma long enough for the Exorcists to destroy them.

When the mass of Akuma finally reached the city all hell broke loose. Kanda leapt from one building to another, slashing at Akuma as he went. They were facing impossible odds but he refused to be weak and worry about that. He would kill these vile creatures.

"Innocence Activate!" Daisya called out, tossing the little bell into the air and watching as it grew in size. "Charity Bell!"

With a mighty kick the nineteen year old Exorcist launched the bell, now the size of a soccer ball, toward the nearest group of Akuma. The bell sailed right through the bodies of the Akuma, causing them to explode in a sort of domino effect.

Daisya offered the defeated Akuma a very cocky smile before moving on to the next group. He enjoyed doing battle with Akuma, enjoyed the excitement that the battle elicited. This was way better than that boring life he'd led before General Tiedoll had found him.

"Thanks Master."

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Hitsugaya asked his companion, coming to a halt and gazing in the direction where he knew the city lay. He could tell that they were close, should be able to see it once they reached the top of this hill, and he could already see explosions.

"Looks like the battle's already began," Allen said. "We should hurry."

Hitsugaya nodded and the two white haired youths began running toward the city where the echoing of the battle could be heard. Just as Hitsugaya suspected Barcelona fell into view as soon as they reached the top of the hill however neither of them stopped to gaze at the scene.

Both knew that it would be bad and both knew that they had to get there and help the others as soon as possible.

"Allen," Hitsugaya said, pulling a by now familiar dragon-headed device from the pocket of his coat. "I know a way to get us there quickly but we run the risk of being seen."

"That doesn't matter right now," Allen said without hesitation.

Hitsugaya nodded and popped the green pill into his mouth. The young Shinigami Exorcist emerged from his gigai and then turned to the fake body. "Go and hide amongst those trees and do not come out no matter what. I'll come back to get you when this is over."

"Yes sir."

Turning away from his fake body Hitsugaya once again focused his gaze on his companion. "Hold on tight," was the only warning that he gave the guy. Seizing Allen by the arm the young captain used his flash-step to take them to the top of the wall that had been erected around the city.

"Thanks," Allen said as he dashed off to help with the battle.

"Don't die!" Hitsugaya called out a second before he too became engaged in the battle against the Akuma. There were countless Akuma attacking the city and the place was littered with the bodies of Finders that had fallen in the line of duty. Hitsugaya hated the sight but he knew that there was nothing that could be done for them right now. He would perform Konso once the battle was over but at the present moment the living were more important than the dead.

Hyourinmaru's blade began to glow with that by now familiar blue aura as Hitsugaya wielded the zanpaktou against the Millennium Earl's henchmen. The young Shinigami had become accustomed to that sight however he was still unable to explain it.

Not that the how or why really matter at this present moment in time.

The fact that Hyourinmaru miraculously possessed Innocence was a huge help in this war that he was now being forced to fight. It would have been far more difficult to carry out his mission were it not for his partner, who had been at his side for as long as he could remember.

He was the only Shinigami in history to have been found with a zanpaktou. He was also the only known soul to have gone to the Soul Society without having someone perform Konso. He had merely shown up out of the blue and been taken in by Head Captain Ukitake. No one had ever been able to explain why he had always been in possession of Hyourinmaru but, until now, it had never really seemed all that important to him.

Perhaps the Innocence had something to do with that?

* * *

The battle was fierce and lasted for hours, leaving all of the Exorcists exhausted and wounded. And the job had lasted even longer for the Shinigami Exorcist since, once the Akuma were defeated, he had to perform Konso for everyone who was killed.

And when that daunting task was complete the young captain still had to retrieve his gigai.

Leaving Allen with the others Hitsugaya quickly made his way back to the location where he had left his gigai. Then, once he had collected his fake body, the young Shinigami returned to the partially demolished city of Barcelona.

The death toll from the battle was immense and the Finders who remained now busy collecting the bodies and preparing them for their final return to the Black Order. It was mandatory that all deceased be taken to the Order so that they wouldn't be made into Akuma.

Allen had been the one and only exception to that rule.

"Has anyone seen Daisya?" an Exorcist name Marie asked, gazing around in search of the Exorcist with the bell.

Kanda, Allen, and Hitsugaya all shook their heads.

"We should probably look for him," Marie said, to which the others nodded. Even Kanda was relenting to, if not wanting, to search for the missing Exorcist. The group made their way around the city but they had no luck. That is until they heard the shouts of a group of Finders.

The four Exorcists made their way toward the sound as quickly as possible and their eyes widened in shock and horror as their gazes fell upon the cause of the Finders' distress. The body of Daisya was hanging, suspended to a street lamp.

Marie and Kanda quickly moved forward so that they could move the body of their comrade, placing him gently on the ground. Then Kanda turned to the Finders. "Take care of him. We have to go and find General Tiedoll."

"Yes sir," the Finder said, bowing his head in reverence to the dead.

So together the group of Exorcists left the remains of Barcelona, determined to locate General Tiedoll. Hopefully the Akuma hadn't managed to find him before they attacked the city. That was what they chose to believe, until it was proven different.

A/N - I hate fight scenes! But with this genre what choice do I have? Hope it wasn't too awful. And before you correct me about Hitsugaya's past, this story is AU and I had to change it a little to fit the later plot. So that's what's up with that. Our heroes get a shove in the right direction in the next chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Daisya: This story is AU so you didn't have to kill me you know.  
The Musician: Sorry about that but...  
Daisya: Innocence Activate!  
The Musician: Not again!


	14. A Shove in the Right Direction

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Fourteen - A Shove in the Right Direction

General Tiedoll had heard the commotion caused by the battle and had been making his way in that direction. Unfortunately he couldn't travel fast enough and when he arrived he saw the smoke that was billowing from the city of Barcelona. His eyes widened as he saw the remains of the destroyed Akuma around the edge of the city and he knew immediately what had happened.

And he had been too late to stop it.

He had been traveling in this direction and had even learned from some travelers that had given him a ride that a demon attack on Barcelona was imminent. That little tip had caused him to leave their company so that he didn't put them in danger and he quickened his pace.

Unfortunately he encountered group after group of Akuma and he was forced to fight them. In retrospect he supposed that he had actually helped in the battle since the Akuma that he had destroyed had never made it to the city but it was hard to put things in perspective like that when looking upon the smoking ruins of the city.

He should have traveled faster.

"General Tiedoll!"

At the sound of this familiar voice the general turned around and watched as two of his former students walked up the hill toward him. His students were accompanied by two white haired youths that he didn't know although there was a very familiar golem perched on the taller boy's head.

That was General Cross' golem, of that he was certain. Was that boy Cross' apprentice?

"We were worried about you General Tiedoll," the youth with the golem on his head said as the group came to a stop in front of him. "I'm glad to see that you're safe."

Tiedoll nodded his head however there was a somewhat tortured expression in his eyes as his gaze once again shifted to the scene of utter confusion and destruction that was located beneath them. If only he had been here then perhaps more lives would have been spared.

"We should return to the city," Kanda said gruffly.

Completely used to his student's lack of proper manners the General nodded.

General Tiedoll accompanied the group of Exorcists back to the city, where he found out that his former student Daisya had been killed. This news served to further depress the General and he pulled a sketch pad from the pack that he wore on his back and began to draw something with a small piece of charcoal. The other Exorcists looked on in surprise as the General drew a seaside village.

Tears glittered in the General's eyes as he thought back to his lost student however he wiped them aside with the sleeve of his coat and continued drawing.

Then, once the drawing was complete, General Tiedoll pulled the piece of paper from the sketch pad and held it up. "It was from memory so it may not be one hundred percent correct," he murmured as he gazed at the picture. It was obvious that he wasn't speaking to any of the assembled Exorcists but instead to the student that he had lost. "Sorry that this is all that I can offer you."

And with these words General Tiedoll struck a match and touched it to the corner of the paper. The group watched as the paper was quickly engulfed by the spreading flames and the ashes flew up to the heavens. Then, once he had made this small offering to his fallen student, General Tiedoll accompanied the four Exorcists to the outskirts of the city.

There they met up with the Finder who had assumed command after the death of the previous Captain. He bowed to General Tiedoll and then quickly explained what was being done to rebuild the city. "Reinforcements are on the way from Headquarters and should be arriving by the end of the day," the man said in a subdued voice. "Chief Komui said that they are sending a large group of Finders as well as a couple of Exorcists."

"Very well," the General said. "Then we shall stay until they arrive, in case anything happens."

"Thank you sir."

So the Exorcists spent the day helping out where ever they could and then when the group of Finders, along with a pair of Exorcists, arrived they announced that they would take a short break and then depart. The Captain nodded politely and thanked them for all of their help and hard work.

"I feel really bad for the General," Allen told Hitsugaya in a quiet voice as the two youths prepared to depart the damaged city and resume their search for Cross. The two boys were sitting on some stairs along with Kanda and Marie, who were a couple of feet behind them.

Hitsugaya nodded. He knew how hard it was when you lost a subordinate and the fact that the old man blamed himself for the young Exorcist's death only added to his torment.

"So you two boys are searching for General Cross, am I correct?" General Tiedoll offered the two white haired youths a friendly smile as he sat down on the steps below them.

"Yes sir," Allen answered politely. "But we aren't having very much luck."

"I think that I can help you out with that," Tiedoll said, pointing toward the little golem that was hovering between Allen and Hitsugaya. "Timcanpy can be used to locate his master so all you have to do is allow him to lead you to General Cross."

"I had no idea," Allen said, reaching up and grabbing Timcanpy. This was yet another thing that his Master had sought to hide from him. And for good reason. Had Allen known that Timcanpy had this ability he would have found Cross long before now and perhaps even forced him to pay some of his own debts for a change. After all he was still receiving the man's bills in the mail. "So where exactly is he hiding Tim?"

The little golem flew into the air and, after a few moments, pointed East. Allen and Hitsugaya both stared off in the direction that Timcanpy was pointing, hoping that Tiedoll was correct with his information. It would be a tremendous help if Timcanpy really could lead them to Cross but a huge set back if Tiedoll was wrong.

_"Well,"_ Allen thought to himself. _"There's really only one way to find out."_

The young Exorcist turned to face his companion, who nodded ever so slightly. Hitsugaya was obviously thinking the same thing that he was; that the only way to know if this was true or not was to follow Timcanpy's directions and see what happened.

"I guess we should continue our mission," Allen said, his gaze shifted from Marie, to Kanda, before finally coming to rest on General Tiedoll. The General nodded in his direction. "Good luck with that. I sincerely hope that you find him."

"Thank you sir," Allen said.

General Tiedoll watched as the two white haired Exorcists departed, following the direction that the little golden golem had pointed out to them. Then he collected the pack that he had placed on the ground and began to walk away from what remained of the city of Barcelona. Clean up had already began, led by a group of Finders that had just arrived, and the bodies of those who had lost their lives in the battle would be sent back to the Order.

All that was left was for him to continue his search for Innocence and those capable of controlling it. That was the only way to make the sacrifices that those poor souls had made mean anything. The war must continue and, for the sake of humanity, they must win.

"General," Kanda called out. "We were ordered to accompany you back to the Order."

"I'm sorry Yu," General Tiedoll said, as always speaking to his former pupil as though he were speaking to his son. "But I can't go back to Headquarters. I have been charged with finding Innocence and worthy Accommodators and I will continue to carry out that mission."

Kanda scowled as the General offered him a smile.

"Then allow us to accompany you on your journey Master," Marie said.

General Tiedoll nodded and Marie and a reluctant Kanda fell into step behind him. This reminded the General of old times and he painfully noted that there was only one thing missing. Daisya. He could still remember the day that he found that young boy and the memory brought a smile to his face.

"Senile old man," Kanda thought as he followed along behind his former Master. Far from having enjoyed the time that he spent with the General, Kanda was loathe to be in his company again. The man had the infuriating habit of treating him like a child and it annoyed him to no end.

* * *

The Millennium Earl was annoyed with the outcome of the attack on Barcelona, to say the very least. While it was true that Tyki did kill one of the Exorcists who had been participating in the battle the fact remained that countless Akuma had been destroyed and the General was still alive.

"Next time," he said as he sat in his rocking chair, surrounded by phones and floating jack-o-lanterns. "You won't be so lucky Exorcists. I will find the Heart and with it I will destroy you all."

The only good thing to come from this battle had been finding the location of the two white haired Exorcists that were causing him so much trouble. Both had shown up and helped with the battle and they couldn't be very far from that location.

Their days were numbered and the number was low.

"Lord Millennium!"

The Earl turned and watched as the First Child bounded into the room. Road twirled around a few times before leaping into his lap. "Play with me Lord Millennium, I'm so bored."

"I have a better idea," the Millennium Earl said as he held the girl in his lap. "I know where those two Exorcists with the white hair are. Why don't you take Tyki and go out and play?"

"That's a great idea!" Road exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face at the thought of playing with the two boys. Killing them would be so much fun and would surely serve to relieve her boredom at least for a little while.

"Take Lero with you," the Earl said. "And leave immediately."

"Right."

Road leapt lightly from the Millennium Earl's lap and skipped away across the room. She seized Lero, who was propped in a corner, before exiting the room, humming a very familiar tune as she went. Hearing the tune the Earl picked up on it.

"Who is it who has my Heart? I will find you soon. . ."

Swinging Lero around as she skipped Road made her way through the mansion to the room where Tyki sat in front of a fireplace, an open book held in his hand. "Tyki!" she called out in an excited tone of voice as she bounded in and disturbed him.

"What do you want now?" Tyki asked, his tone casual and almost bored.

"Lord Millennium has found out where our targets are," Road said with a smile. "They were involved in the battle in Barcelona. So why didn't you kill them while you were there Tyki?"

Tyki chose to ignore the taunting tone of her voice. "I didn't come across them or I would have." The man got to his feet, closing his book and placing it in the chair. Pulling two by now familiar playing cards from the inside pocket of his jacket, Tyki turned to the girl and said, "We should go and take care of them."

"Right," Road said, twirling around once more. "This is going to be so much fun."

Having enjoyed his fight with the Exorcist that controlled the bell, Tyki secretly agreed. This was the great part about his 'black' persona. When he assumed it he was completely free from all the moral baggage that humans were plagued with.

"You will not escape."

A/N - Allen and Hitsugaya have been given a helpful nudge and are now off to find Cross while Tyki and Road are continuing their hunt for our favorite white haired Exorcists, having also been given a nudge. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Taking some parts from DGM for convenience but planning on changing things around to suit my purposes.

The Musician: Someone needs to kill Lero. That damn thing's obnoxious. Always has been.  
Lero: That's mean, Lero!  
The Musician: Please I'm begging...


	15. The Journey Truly Begins

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Fifteen - The Journey Truly Begins

When asked the question about Cross Marian's whereabouts the little golem Timcanpy had pointed East and now Allen and Hitsugaya found themselves on their way to China. Reports had surfaced that someone vaguely fitting Cross' description had been seen there and, knowing that they had to go that direction anyway since it was where Timcanpy was pointing, the two youths decided to check it out.

"I don't understand how they can say that it's someone who vaguely fits Master Cross' description," Allen said as he and Hitsugaya made their way toward China. "My master isn't exactly easy to forget and you'd think that someone who had seen him would have no problems telling that it was him."

"Maybe they were subconsciously making an effort to forget," Hitsugaya suggested, growing weary of Allen's constant complaints about not wanting to find General Cross. He was well aware of the fact that the boy didn't want to see Cross again but none the less he wished that Allen would just suck it up and accept his fate. After all, there wasn't really anything that could be done to change the situation. Orders were orders.

"Maybe," Allen said, his voice thoughtful.

"So if you dislike this guy so much then why the hell did you train with him?"

Allen was somewhat shocked by this question and he thought about the answer for a few minutes. "I trained with Master Cross because I was determined to become an Exorcist so that I could atone for what I had done to Mana. So that I could free the other tortured souls who had been bound into eternal hell by the Millennium Earl."

Hitsugaya nodded, somewhat impressed despite himself. When he had first met Allen Walker his first impression had been that the boy was weak however after having been forced to fight at the boy's side he now knew that this wasn't the case. Allen had an internal strength that few others possessed and Hitsugaya felt a new respect for him. But that didn't mean that he liked the boy.

"Oh," Allen moaned, suddenly grabbing his stomach.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked, his gaze shifting to his companion.

"I'm so hungry," Allen whined, a pitiful expression in his gray eyes.

"Ugh," Hitsugaya groaned, shaking his head. "You're always hungry and you're just going to have to deal with it for now. In case you haven't noticed, we're trapped out in the middle of nowhere."

And it was true. The two white haired youths had been wandering around for days and now found themselves traveling through a dense forest. They were both on the lookout for Akuma but it had been unusually quiet as of late. Most people would have been happy about the lack of battles but it just made Hitsugaya uneasy. It seemed to him that the enemy must be plotting something.

Why else would the attacks have stopped all together?

"Does this seem odd to you?" Hitsugaya asked, his teal eyed gaze surveying their surroundings.

Instantly forgetting about his hunger Allen nodded. "Yea. We've been attacked frequently up until now and yet since arriving in this forest we haven't ran into so much as one Akuma. They're up to something."

Hitsugaya nodded, his hand absently going to the handle of Hyourinmaru.

"Oh look," a childish voice called out. "I think they've grown suspicious. This is going to be so much fun!"

Both Allen and Hitsugaya immediately gazed in the direction that the voice was coming from and their searching gazes fell on not one but two people. A man and a young girl were standing on a large tree branch, gazing down at the two Exorcists. Allen's eyes grew wide at the sight of the girl, whom he's had the displeasure of meeting once before.

"Road Kamelot."

"Hey Allen!" the girl named Road called out, waving to the white haired Exorcist as though the two of them were old friends. She held up an umbrella and pointed it toward the taller of the boys. "I've come back to play with you some more. This is going to be so much fun!"

"Watch out for these guys Toushirou," Allen warned as he activated his Innocence. "They're from the Clan of Noah."

"Clan of Noah," Hitsugaya repeated, a strange and far off look appearing in his teal eyes. Once again the voice of someone that he had just met set off strange visions in his mind. It was the same with this girl as it had been with the Millennium Earl.

"You know you really shouldn't space out like that," the man wearing the top hat said, leaping from the tree branch upon which he and Road had been standing. "It leaves you open for attack."

Hitsugaya drew Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore secured across his back in one fluid motion and used the glowing blade to block the attack from the man. The Noah appeared surprised that Hitsugaya had actually countered his attack and he jumped back a couple of feet.

"So it seems that you're fairly skilled," the man said, removing his top hat and bowing slightly to the boy. "I am Tyki Mikk and I'm of the Clan of Noah."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened as the Noah introduced himself as though the two of them were at a party and not engaged in battle. And what was more shocking was the fact that he recognized the man's voice. Just like with that girl named Road and the Earl, Hitsugaya knew that he had heard it somewhere before.

_"How do I know these people?" _Hitsugaya thought to himself as he raised his sword.

"You really should keep your thoughts focused on the battle," Tyki said, pulling his hand from the inside of his top coat. On his hand perched a butterfly, similar in appearance to the Hell butterfly that Soul Society used to communicate. "Or else you're going to become nothing more than food for the tease."

"Not very damn likely," Hitsugaya snapped, swinging the blade of Hyourinmaru.

Tyki had to admit that he was somewhat surprised by the power that the white haired brat possessed and the force of his blow forced the Noah to jump back. A smirk appeared on the man's face as he once again locked his gaze on the boy.

He seemed familiar for some reason.

But why?

"Now who's letting their guard down?" Hitsugaya asked smugly as he once again launched himself toward the Noah. Swinging the blade of Hyourinmaru fiercely, Hitsugaya unleashed an attack of ice. Tyki was once again shocked, having never encountered an Exorcist who could use attacks like this.

"You really are something different boy," Tyki said as he held up both hands. A group of the strange looking butterflies rose up to surround the Noah however Hitsugaya was completely unphased. As an attack this was wholly unintimidating.

Allen's gaze briefly shifted to the battle that his companion was engaged in. Having encountered the Noah before Allen was somewhat concerned for the well being of his companion however Hitsugaya seemed to be holding his own against Tyki Mikk.

"You shouldn't worry so much about others," a sing songy voice called out.

Allen gasped in pain as something sharp slammed into his shoulder. Glancing down the young Exorcist saw that the flesh of his shoulder had been pierced by one of Road's brightly colored candles and, without flinching, he pulled it free and threw it to the ground. Forcing himself to concentrate on his own battle Allen turned back to Road, who wore a maddening smirk on her face.

"Still so much fun to play with," she said as she directed another attack in the boy's direction.

Allen and Hitsugaya fought against the Noah, determined not to lose to the Earl's henchmen, however it was only a matter of time before the two youths found themselves in a losing battle. The Noah had powers that neither of them had encountered and with each injury that they sustained it was growing increasingly more difficult to fight back.

And yet neither youth was willing to just lay down and die.

"Hey bean sprouts!" a voice suddenly called out, startling the group that was engaged in a battle. All four of them, Exorcist and Noah alike, looked up and their eyes widened as a large hammer came crashing to the ground.

"Watch it you idiot!" Hitsugaya screamed as he was forced to dodge the attack.

"Hey," Lavi snapped as he landed on the ground and held up his hammer. "Try to be a little more grateful to the man who just saved your life."

"You haven't saved anything," Tyki said arrogantly, his gaze shifting to the newcomer. "All you've done is add one more name to the list of casualties that the Order is going to have to record."

Lavi merely smirked.

"Waltz Misty Wind!"

"Lenalee's here too?" Allen exclaimed as a whirlwind came out of nowhere, causing the two members of the Clan of Noah to jump out of the way.

Lenalee landed next to Allen, a determined expression in her violet eyes.

"This isn't good, Lero. I think that we should retreat, Lero."

Road looked as though she would be more than happy to take on all four of the Exorcists however Tyki placed a hand on her shoulder. She gazed into his eyes for a moment and then nodded. "We have to go now Allen but we'll come back to play again real soon."

And without another word to any of the Exorcists Road summoned a door through which she and Tyki stepped through, disappearing.

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya swore, irritated that the Noah had retreated. He was now haunted with even more memories that he didn't understand thanks to that Tyki Mikk guy and he desperately wanted to vent his frustrations by beating the man into a bloody pulp.

"What are you guys doing here?" Allen asked, his gaze shifting to Lavi and Lenalee. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad to see you. It's just that this was so unexpected."

"Komui thought that the two of you could probably use some help tracking down General Cross," Lavi explained, his trade mark grin plastered all over his face as he gazed at the two white haired youths. "And each of the Generals are being assigned a guard since it's obvious that the Noah are targeting them. We, along with the two of you, are going to be the guard for General Cross. Whether we want to or not, according to Komui."

"I see," Allen said. "Well I'm sure that we'll be very grateful for your help."

"Well," Lavi said, placing his right hand on Allen's shoulder and his left hand on Hitsugaya's. "We should probably continue onward and find somewhere to stay for the night. It's only a matter of time before the Noah regroup and you guys are both injured."

"I'm fine," both of the white haired youths asserted.

"Uh huh," Lenalee said, not even sounding remotely convinced. "We still need to find shelter. And I'm sure that Allen would appreciate it if we found somewhere to eat."

The fatigue of battle was instantly forgotten at the mention of food and Allen nodded his head vigorously. That was the best suggestion that he had heard all day and he was all for finding some place to eat. He didn't even care where at this point.

Knowing that he was outnumbered Hitsugaya nodded his head in resignation. "Fine."

And so the group continued onward, having grown by double. The Cross group now had four members, all determined to find the General and protect him from the Noah. Even Allen now wanted to find his master, so that he could punch him for all of the trouble that he had caused.

A smile appeared on the boy's face at the thought of punching his Master in the nose.

"Hey Allen," Lavi said, waving his hand in front of the youth's face. Allen didn't even seem to notice the gesture. "Check this out, I don't think he sees anything. The bean sprout's totally spaced out."

"MY NAME'S ALLEN!"

"Well not totally," Lenalee said with a smile.

A/N - the first encounter with the Noah and Allen and Hitsugaya didn't fare so well. Can't make it too easy for them after all. And now Hitsu's even more tormented by memories. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Allen: I'm tired... and hungry... I hate my Master.  
Toushirou: I hate your Master too.  
Cross: 'Pulls out Judgment and points it at the two white haired brats'  
The Musician: 'Breaks up yet another fight before it can result in the death of the two main characters'


	16. The Cross Team

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Sixteen - The Cross Team

Allen, Hitsugaya, Lavi and Lenalee were now known to headquarters as the Cross Team since they were the ones who had been assigned to locate and protect General Cross Marian and Allen couldn't help but think that the name applied more to their mood than to their mission. None of them were happy with the assignment and most, with the exception of Lenalee, were plotting the slow and painful death of the General that they were supposed to protect.

_"This really isn't going well," _Allen thought to himself as his gaze shifted back and forth between the members of the group.

After the battle with the two Noah the remainder of the journey was uneventful. Of course they were once again assaulted by large groups of Akuma but compared to Road and Tyki these opponents were nothing. And with four Exorcists instead of two the battles were short and relatively painless.

Which was good considering the fact that both Allen and Hitsugaya were still injured from their battles with the Noah. And since they were pretty much trapped in their gigais it was taking longer than it should have for the two of them to recover from the wounds. Of course Allen took this in stride but Hitsugaya was pretty much pissed off about it and everyone knew it.

"It's a good thing that you don't really like your master Allen," Lavi said discreetly while the group searched for a hotel in China.

"And why is that?" Allen asked, somewhat distracted by his hunger.

"Because I think Toushirou plans to kill him on sight," Lavi said with a chuckle, pointing his finger toward the youth who was walking a few feet ahead of the rest of the group.

Allen focused his attention on his companion and he saw that Hitsugaya's hands were clenched into fists. The young Exorcist already knew that Hitsugaya was irritated over the search for his master but there was also something else wrong with him. He'd been distracted ever since the battle against the Noah but of course he refused to talk to any of them about his problems.

The young Shinigami always insisted on acting as though nothing were wrong.

Judging by the mood that Hitsugaya was in Allen thought that his master really might be in danger and yet he found that he simply couldn't bring himself to care. General Cross Marian had made his life a virtual hell during the time that he had trained under the man and an evil smile spread across his face as he thought about Hitsugaya using his sword on the red haired man.

That might actually be fun to watch.

"What is up with that idiotic grin?" a voice asked, breaking into Allen's thoughts.

Hitsugaya had apparently turned back to them, perhaps to find out what was taking them so damn long, and he was glaring at Allen.

"Nothing," Allen said quickly, holding up his hands.

"Tch."

Allen watched as Hitsugaya turned away from him and continued walking. His hands were still clenched into fists and, Allen wouldn't have believed it possible, but the boy looked even angrier than before. Honestly sometimes Hitsugaya's mood swings rivaled Kanda's.

"So," Lavi said lightly, attempting to defuse the tension that had built. "According to Timcanpy, General Cross is close."

"Right," Allen said, his gaze automatically surveying their surroundings. "He should be somewhere in this very city."

"Then explain to me why it is that we're searching for an inn?" Hitsugaya demanded, once again turning to face his companion.

"Because it's late," Lavi replied good naturedly, rescuing Allen from having to answer the question. "And we're all exhausted." Quickening his pace the red haired boy grabbed at a lock of Hitsugaya's hair and pulled on it. "All of us, including you."

Hitsugaya pulled away from Lavi but didn't comment.

And he somehow managed to resist the urge to draw Hyourinmaru and gut the annoying red haired pain in the neck.

But it wasn't easy.

Allen could tell that Hitsugaya really didn't want to go along with the others however the white haired Shinigami didn't say another word on the subject. He was giving in to the desires of the others which Allen thought was kind. In this moment he knew that his companion really did have a heart, although he tried his best to hide that fact.

It took some time and effort however the group finally managed to find an inn that had an available room. One available room.

_"This is wonderful,"_ Lavi thought to himself, hearts shining in his eyes as his gaze shifted to Lenalee.

"If you try anything I swear I'll tell Chief Komui," Allen threatened under his breath, seeing the look on Lavi's face and knowing what it meant.

"I don't believe this," Hitsugaya muttered angrily to himself as the group climbed the stairs toward their room, which was located on the second floor of the building. Contrary to his earlier words he really was exhausted but now that he was stuck with this group of annoying Exorcists the chances of actually getting any rest seemed slim to none.

The landlady had been kind enough to supply them with an extra sheet and, as soon as the group entered the room, Allen and Hitsugaya set about stringing the sheet across the room so that Lenalee could have some privacy. Then, once that task had been completed, everyone prepared for bed.

It wasn't long before everyone, with the exception of Hitsugaya, was fast asleep. The young Shinigami attempted to sleep, propping himself in a corner with the blanket that he had liberated from one of the beds, but unfortunately his thoughts were far too occupied to sleep. Every time that he closed his eyes Hitsugaya thought about the Millennium Earl and that Noah that went by the name of Tyki Mikk.

Both of their voices were familiar to him and the boy still couldn't place where exactly it was that he had heard them. He had no memory of ever meeting the two of them before and yet the sound of their voices stirred up hazy images that he couldn't explain.

_"What the hell is wrong with me?" _he thought to himself as he gazed out the window.

He had never had any doubts about who he was until he had been assigned this mission to assist Allen Walker in the war against the Millennium Earl. Up until that point he had been Captain of Squad Ten, Toushirou Hitsugaya. Now, with the onslaught of images that he had no explanation for, the boy wasn't so sure.

The boy might have gone on dwelling on the strange images however he suddenly noticed movement outside the window. Growling low in his throat Hitsugaya grabbed for Hyourinmaru and leapt to his feet. There was something outside and since he wasn't picking up on the presence of a soul he was fairly sure that it was one of the Noah.

Opening the window Hitsugaya silently climbed outside and, once on the roof, he came upon a strange blonde haired woman. She had her back to him but, hearing his approach, she turned toward the boy. The sound of a bell echoed through the air as she turned and her eyes turned to gold as her gaze fell upon the new arrival.

"Welcome Exorcist," she said as she turned to face him.

"Who are you?" Hitsugaya demanded, glaring at the woman and clutching the handle of Hyourinmaru.

"How dare you speak that way to Madam Lulubell!" a third voice snapped, joining the conversation uninvited.

Hitsugaya instinctively whirled toward the new voice and he saw a young girl land on the roof. This time he could plainly see the soul and he knew this girl to be an Akuma. And that knowledge pretty much solidified his theory that the blond woman was from the Clan of Noah.

"So child," the woman named Lulubell said, her voice calm as she spoke to the young Shinigami Exorcist. "Why didn't you bring your friends along with you? You're going to need them."

"Not very damn likely," Hitsugaya snarled, holding up the blade of his sword and glaring at the woman. Unfortunately as soon as he made a move toward the Noah his head began to throb unmercifully. Gasping in pain the young boy stopped his advance and clutched the sides of his head.

"What's wrong with him Madam Lulubell?" the Akuma asked, gazing at the young Exorcist.

"I have no idea," Lulubell said, taking a step toward the child. "But it doesn't matter. Lord Millennium has ordered that this child, along with his friends, be eliminated and I will follow his orders."

Lulubell took another step toward Hitsugaya but was forced to jump back when a large hammer hit the roof where she had been standing mere seconds before. Her eyes narrowed as she watched three more youths appear on the rooftop. The red haired boy who was holding the hammer was smirking.

"Oi Toushirou!" Lavi called out. "You really shouldn't wander off on your own. Don't you know that it can be dangerous?"

Hitsugaya wanted nothing more than to pound his so called team mate into the ground but his head was aching too badly for him to do anything other than sink to his knees. This had never happened to him before and the boy was baffled. Why now?

"Damn it!" Lavi exclaimed as he watched Hitsugaya sink to his knees at the same time that Lulubell prepared for an attack. The red haired bookman could tell that Hitsugaya was in no shape to dodge an attack so it was up to him to make sure that the attack never came. Swinging his weapon he called out, "Big Hammer, Little Hammer, grow. . . Grow. . . GROW!"

The hammer instantly increased in size and Lavi effortlessly swung it toward his enemies. With it's current size it was large enough for him to be able to attack both at once and both Lulubell and the Akuma had to jump out of the way.

The Akuma growled in anger, enraged at the audacity of these Exorcists. How dare they attack Madam Lulubell! They would all pay dearly for the mistake of that red haired brat. Pulling a pair of fans from nowhere she launched herself toward the group of Exorcists.

Seeing the attack coming Lenalee leapt into the air. "Innocence Activate!" At the sound of her command the Dark Boots activated and Lenalee twirled in the air. "The Waltz, Misty Wind!"

A tornado issued forth from spot where Lenalee kicked the air and traveled in a direct path toward the Akuma. The creature, who had the appearance of a young girl, laughed as she knocked the attack to one side with her fans. A smile appeared on her face as she prepared to attack.

Joining the fight Allen activated his own Innocence and then dashed toward the Akuma. For now the Noah was staying out of the fight and due to this fact the Akuma was more of a threat to their immediate safety. That meant that she should be the one that they took care of first.

The Akuma was taken by surprise by Allen's attack and she screeched in pain as his sword slashed through her arm. Jumping back she narrowed her eyes in anger at the white haired boy and prepared for another attack. This time he would be the one to pay.

"Let's go," Lulubell commanded, shocking her Akuma companion.

"But Madam Lulubell. . ."

"My mission was only to slow them down," Lulubell said in a calm voice. It would have been nice to be able to report back to Lord Millennium that the group of Exorcists had been killed but it wasn't her mission so it wasn't necessary. "We'll retreat for now."

"Right," the Akuma said.

The group of Exorcists watched as Lulubell and the Akuma disappeared and then Lavi, Allen and Lenalee turned their attention to Hitsugaya. The boy was still kneeling on the roof, clutching his head with both hands. There was a pained expression in his eyes and. . .

Allen gasped as he saw that Hitsugaya's eyes had changed from teal to. . .

The young Exorcist shook his head and glanced again. Hitsugaya's eyes had returned to their normal teal color causing Allen to think that maybe he'd imagined the whole thing. It was just the stress of the encounter with the Noah, that had to be it.

"Come on," Lenalee said in a gentle voice. "We should all go back in."

Allen helped a shaky Hitsugaya to his feet and together the group made their way back into the room that they were sharing. Hitsugaya immediately collapsed and the others all stared at him, concerned expressions on their faces.

It was obvious to everyone that something was not right with the boy.

A/N- and there's another chapter. I really hope that you guys are enjoying the way that this story is progressing, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you think. And I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has submitted reviews thus far. You're all awesome! The music has ended for the time being, stay tuned for more.

Allen: Wait... was that a... cat?  
Lavi: It was... but then it turned into a woman.  
Toushirou: Is Yoruichi here?


	17. Forgotten Past

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Seventeen - Forgotten Past

"Hello there," a voice called out, startling the child who was lying on the ground. The little boy glanced up and saw a blond haired man, dressed in a strange black outfit with a white coat over it, gazing down at him with a curious expression in his eyes. He had no idea who this man was and he made a move to run but his legs gave out and he fell back to the ground. "Whoa," the man said, his voice kind. "You don't have to be scared of me. I have no plans to cause you harm."

The child gazed up into the man's eyes, finding it hard to believe the words that were being spoken to him. Everyone caused pain although he was unsure of how exactly it was that he knew this to be true. The knowledge was simply there, he had no idea where it had came from.

But that didn't detract from the fact that he believed it to be true.

"My name is Kisuke Urahara," the man said, still smiling down at the child in an effort to reassure him. "And I'm the Captain of Squad Twelve of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. So what's your name little one?"

The child held a thoughtful expression on his face for a few minutes before shrugging his small shoulders. If he had a name he couldn't remember what it was, not that it really seemed to matter.

"You don't know," the man named Urahara muttered, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. "Well no matter. I think you should come with me little one. You have too much power to just remain out here." As he spoke the man's gaze shifted to an object on the ground.

The little boy's eyes followed the man's gaze and he saw that there was a long katana lying on the ground beside him. He couldn't remember where it had came from but he instinctively knew that it was his and that he must hold onto it no matter what. As though fearing that the man was going to take it from him the child reached out and grasped the sword, feeling a warm and comforting feeling spreading through his body as his hand wrapped around the handle.

"Don't worry," Urahara said with a chuckle. "You can bring that with you. After all, I think that you'll probably need it later."

Urahara offered his hand to the child but the boy refused to take it. Still eyeing the man warily he forced himself to his feet, grasping the sword and using it to prop himself up. "You're an independent little thing aren't you? Well there's nothing wrong with that. Come with me and I'll take you to the Seireitei."

* * *

Allen watched, concern evident in his gray eyes, as Hitsugaya tossed and turned in a fevered sleep. The young Shinigami hadn't opened his eyes even once since the battle with the Noah named Lulubell and he was beginning to grow concerned for his friend. Hitsugaya hadn't suffered any wounds during that battle but he continued to clutch his head as though he were in great pain, even in sleep.

"How's he doing Allen?"

Allen glanced toward the door and watched as Lenalee stepped inside the room. There was concern in her eyes as well and Allen could tell that she already considered the irritable boy to be a member of her family and was concerned for him. Vaguely Allen wondered how Hitsugaya would feel to learn that he was now considered a member of Lenalee's family.

For some reason he thought that Hitsugaya wouldn't relish the idea.

"He still hasn't woken up," Allen told her, watching as she placed a bowl of water on the small night stand. Hitsugaya had collapsed in the floor upon entering their room however Lavi had moved the boy to one of the beds when it became obvious that he was ill.

None of them thought that a sick kid should be forced to sleep on the floor, even if he had already chosen to do so.

"I didn't even realize that souls could get sick," Lavi said from the spot where he was standing by the doorway. There was a strange expression in the boy's one visible green eye and Allen was certain that the Jr Bookman was completely analyzing the situation.

Allen hadn't given it much thought but. . . "It seems that we're susceptible to most of the ailments of living people. We aren't immune to injury or apparently illness. Actually it's not all that different from being alive as far as I can tell."

"That seems kinda unfair," Lavi observed, thinking privately to himself that you shouldn't have to suffer after death. After all, most people endured enough suffering in life to earn themselves peace in death.

Lenalee nodded as she placed a cloth in the bowl of water. Pulling it out she wrung out the excess water and then used the cloth to bathe Hitsugaya's sweat drenched forehead. The expression on the boy's face was one of pure pain and it was obvious that he was suffering even in sleep.

And as much as they wanted to help none of the Exorcists knew what to do for the boy.

* * *

"Head Captain Ukitake," Urahara called out as he and the child made their way to the Squad One barracks. The boy was following along behind him, several feet behind him as a matter of fact, and Urahara could tell that he hadn't gained the kid's trust. "Well, considering what you've been through who can really blame you."

"What is it Captain Urahara?" Ukitake asked as he stepped out of his office and came to meet his subordinate in the hallway.

The child stopped dead in his tracks and gazed up at the new comer. The wary look in his teal eyes only intensified as he studied the white haired man. It was as though he were sizing up how much of a threat the man was going to be.

"Who is this?" Ukitake asked as his gaze fell upon the child.

"I found him out in the Rukongai," Urahara said in a quiet voice. "He came here without the guidance of a Shinigami and he was already in possession of a sword."

Ukitake's eyes widened in shock and his gaze shifted back to the child. The little boy had snow white hair, which was sticking up at odd angles, and wary teal eyes. He seemed to be exhausted as was evident by the fact that he was leaning heavily on the oversized sword that he carried.

The Head Captain sank to his knees in front of the child and gazed at him with a kind expression in his eyes. "What is your name little one?"

As before with Urahara all the child could do was shrug. He vaguely remembered having a name but the knowledge of what it was seemed to have been lost to him. Now he was merely a nobody who was finding it extremely hard to trust people for some strange reason.

"It's okay," Ukitake said in a kind voice, noticing that the child was growing visibly upset. "You can stay here with me until you remember who you are. Okay?"

The child gazed at Ukitake, sizing up the threat, and then gave the man a barely perceptible nod.

"Great," Ukitake said, getting to his feet. "And until you can remember your real name I'm going to call you Toushirou."

* * *

Hitsugaya gasped as his eyes popped open and he immediately sat up, his gaze shifting frantically around the room. He was disturbed by his dreams and he couldn't remember where he was although he did remember a fight. Was the enemy still around? Gentle hands on his shoulders brought the young Shinigami back to complete awareness and he gazed into the kind eyes of Lenalee.

"You shouldn't move around so much," she said in a quiet voice, her hands still gently holding him down. "You've been ill for quite some time."

"Ill?" Hitsugaya repeated, his gaze once again sweeping the room and this time taking in the rest of it's inhabitants. Allen was seated at his bedside, looking concerned, and Lavi was leaning up against the wall near the door.

Had they all been here the whole time?

"We're glad to see that you're finally awake Toushirou," Allen said, offering him a smile. "You've been unconscious for two days."

Hitsugaya thought back to the scenes that had played out in his mind while he was unconscious and he realized, for perhaps the first time, that Toushirou Hitsugaya wasn't his real name. He had completely forgotten the fact that Ukitake had given it to him because he couldn't remember what his real name was.

This knowledge only added to the confusion that he already had and left him feeling somewhat hollow inside. "Who am I?" he thought to himself.

"Hey," Lavi called out, noticing the forlorn look in the boy's eyes. "Are you okay bean sprout?"

The sad expression instantly left the boy's eyes, replaced by anger, and he whirled around to face Lavi. "I swear if you call me that one more time. . ." Unfortunately Hitsugaya was unable to finish the threat because his head began to throb once again and he was forced to sink back down onto the bed.

"You shouldn't over exert yourself so soon," Allen reprimanded as Lenalee began to once again bathe the boy's forehead.

Hitsugaya was thoroughly horrified by the situation but he simply felt to awful to complain. Grinding his teeth together in an effort to cope with the throbbing pain in his head the boy clenched his eyes tightly closed. Maybe if he imagined that he was somewhere else it would make this easier to bear.

"Poor kid," Lavi said.

Okay, maybe not.

"I'm going to kill you later," Hitsugaya snarled, putting as much strength into the words as he possessed. Which, at this particular moment, wasn't a lot.

Lavi laughed at the threat, not sounding even the least bit concerned. "He must be feeling a little better at least. He has the strength to make death threats so he should recover in no time."

Ignoring Lavi's words, as well as the overwhelming desire to strangle the red haired Exorcist, Hitsugaya's thoughts shifted back to the dream of his past. How could he have forgotten the fact that Ukitake had been the one to give him the name Toushirou Hitsugaya? The kind old captain had taken him in when he had been found in the Rukongai and, when it had became apparent that he wasn't going to be able to remember his name, Ukitake had given him one.

So what was his real name?

Not that it mattered very much, after all he had been Toushirou Hitsugaya for so long, but the boy found that he was curious. His little chats with Head Captain Ukitake, along with this newest memory, were leading him to believe that something had happened during his life that had caused him to forget his very identity.

And it was somehow connected to the Millennium Earl and the Clan of Noah.

"Ugh," the boy groaned, irritated beyond all reason. They didn't really have time for this. He had been the one against stopping at the inn and yet he had caused them to be stranded there far longer than they should have been. "We don't have time for this. We have to find Cross."

"I don't think that you should move just yet," Allen said, concerned for his friend.

"We have to find Cross," Hitsugaya repeated, feeling a new determination form. He couldn't shake the feeling that this assignment was somehow connected to his forgotten past and he desperately wanted to know what had happened to him to make him forget his own name.

They had to find Cross and after that the Earl of Millennium.

The young Shinigami hadn't wanted any part of this assignment but now he was grateful to Urahara for insisting that he be the one to guard Allen Walker. This mission was awakening memories that he had long suppressed and perhaps he would be able to unlock the secrets of his past.

A/N - and there's another chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed. Please be kind and leave a review, telling me your thoughts. I would greatly like to hear them. The music has ended for now, stay tuned for more.

Allen: Hey Toushirou, are you okay?  
Toushirou: Of course it's Urahara's fault. It's always Urahara's fault.  
Allen: I think he's gone catatonic.  
Lavi: 'Holds up a handful of pink bows' Well we may as well take advantage of this.  
Toushirou: Do it and die.


	18. Gone

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Eighteen - Gone

Even though he was insisting that they leave the inn now and continue their search for General Cross the fact remained that Hitsugaya looked like hell and Allen wasn't sure that leaving was the best thing for the young Shinigami. Even though he kept insisting that he was fine he still looked as though he could pass out at any given moment. Allen had his doubts about everything that the shorter boy told him. But the one thing that he was certain of was the fact that Hitsugaya wasn't going to take no for an answer. No matter how many people said it to him.

The boy was already out of bed and had once again donned the Exorcist's coat that he seemed to have finally grown accustomed to wearing. Allen eyed his companion, he had long since ceased thinking of him in terms of being a body guard, while the shorter boy tied the sash that secured his sword across his back.

"What?" Hitsugaya demanded, turning and catching Allen staring at him. He had gotten far too much attention due to his illness and he was not happy about that fact. Why couldn't these people just leave him alone? How many times would he have to tell them that he was fine before they believed his words?

Too many apparently.

"I don't think that this is a good idea," Allen said, deciding that it would be best if he just told Hitsugaya what he was thinking instead of trying to make up an excuse for staring at him. "You're obviously not well and continuing our journey will likely only make things worse."

"We've already wasted too much time as it is," Hitsugaya snapped, avoiding giving voice to the thought that was really occupying his mind. The thought that if he continued to move closer to the General, as well as the Millennium Earl and the Noah, then he might uncover the secret of the past that he couldn't remember.

The past that he had obviously been desperate to forget.

"You know you're way too stubborn bean sprout," Lavi commented from his spot by the door. It seemed that he had placed himself there strategically as though knowing that his mouth was going to get him into trouble and he may need to make a hasty retreat.

Hitsugaya whirled around to face the red haired Exorcist and his hand went to the hilt of his sword. Allen had the feeling that Lavi might have pushed the kid too far this time and he made a move to prevent the impending attack. Relying on lightening quick reflexes, honed by more life or death battles than he cared to remember, Allen seized his companion by the arm and prevented him from attacking Lavi. "Would you two please stop? If we're going to go out and look for Master then let's just go already."

It was so rare for the always polite Allen to lose his temper that both Hitsugaya and Lavi took note. Rolling their eyes the pair ceased their argument and together the quartet of Exorcists left the inn and traveled back out into the crowded streets.

"How about it Tim?" Allen asked, turning his attention to the little golden golem who had once again taken up a position on Hitsugaya's head. Timcanpy seemed to have grown unusually fond of the young Shinigami and Allen was a little confused by this fact. What was it about the boy that attracted the golem so?

At the sound of his name Timcanpy launched into the air and scanned the area. Then, as though to say that he didn't have a clue, the golem shrugged his little wings and landed on the top of Hitsugaya's head once more. The group of Exorcists took this to mean that the general was no longer in the vicinity and decided that they would simply have to continue their journey east.

"I swear I'm going to kill that man when I find him," Hitsugaya muttered to no one in particular.

"Only if you beat me to it," Lavi said, his hand hovering over his hammer. His fingers were twitching and it looked as though he too would like nothing better than to take out some pent up frustrations on the general that they were searching for.

Allen merely smirked.

Timcanpy's indecision when posed the question as to Cross' whereabouts led the group of Exorcists to believe that he had already departed this part of China however they spent a couple of hours searching the town just to be on the safe side.

Hitsugaya was still weak due to his little encounter with the Noah named Lulubell and the subsequent days that he spent unconscious but the young Shinigami Exorcist was making every effort to hide this fact from the others. He could tell that they were already worried about him and he didn't need any more of their sympathy. It was starting to get on his last nerve. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and he wished that they would get that through their thick skulls.

"It's no use," Lavi announced after the group had spent several fruitless hours searching for their missing general. "He's simply not here anymore. I think we should move on and make our way to the next town."

"Right," Allen said, in complete agreement with Lavi. Things looked bad at the moment but he could feel that they were close to tracking down his Master. All they had to do was keep moving forward. "We can still use Tim to track him down. It's just going to take a little longer than we anticipated."

Hitsugaya growled low in his throat but didn't bother to comment. Allen could find a way to be cheerful under any circumstances and, while a small part of him admired that trait in the boy, Hitsugaya was mostly annoyed by it. There was absolutely no bright side to this situation and he didn't feel the need to search for one.

This train of thought was derailed by a sharp tug on his hair and, without really thinking about the action, Hitsugaya reached up and seized Timcanpy from mid air. Opening his fist the boy gazed at the golem that he held clenched in his hand. "What?"

Timcanpy pulled himself free from Hitsugaya's grasp, tugged on the boy's hair once more, and then began flying off down the street.

"Tim!" Allen called out as he watched the golem grow smaller and smaller.

"Um," Lenalee said, grabbing both Allen and Hitsugaya by the arm and dragging them down the street in pursuit of the little golem. "Don't you think that we should follow him?"

Allen was too stunned by the action to react however Hitsugaya pulled his arm free of her grasp. He was perfectly capable of following Timcanpy under his own power and he wanted to make sure that she knew this. Lavi could be heard laughing at them as he too made his way down the street.

"Do you think maybe Timcanpy picked up on something?" Lavi asked as the group of Exorcists followed the golem down the street. None of them had any idea where Timcanpy was leading them but they knew that they had to follow. He was the only one among them with the capability of tracking General Cross and where ever he went they had to follow.

Whether they wanted to or not.

Timcanpy came to a stop in front of a building that looked like a very fancy inn. The group of Exorcists all came to a halt in front of the door that led inside and for a few minutes all they could do was stand there and stare. Why, out of all the places he could have led them, had Timcanpy stopped here?

"Was Master here Tim?" Allen posed this question to the little golem as though he really expected a verbal reply.

Both Allen and Lenalee jumped when the door was suddenly thrust open and a huge person appeared in the doorway. With the shaved head and bulging muscles they all thought that it was a man however upon closer inspection it was revealed that. . .

"It's a woman!" Allen and Lavi both exclaimed, earning them disapproving looks from Lenalee, Hitsugaya and the stranger standing in the doorway.

"What business do you have here?" the woman demanded. "We don't serve children or first timers here."

"I'm really sorry," Allen spoke up, always the gentleman. "We were out searching for someone and. . . we ended up here."

The woman regarded Allen briefly before her eyes focused on the golem that was floating between the two white haired youths. A spark of recognition appeared in her eyes and a smile spread across her lips. "I'm afraid that you've came too late. General Cross is no longer here."

"So. . . so Master really was here?"

The woman nodded and gestured for the group of Exorcists to enter the building. "I think that you four should speak to Mistress Anita. She can tell you far more about General Cross than I."

After passing each other brief glances the four Exorcists did as they were told and entered the building. The woman led the way down a long corridor and into a back room. A young woman was seated in the room and her eyes widened somewhat as her gaze fell upon the group of children.

"Mistress Anita," the woman said as they entered the room. "They're here searching for General Cross."

"I see," the black haired woman named Anita said, nodding her head to the muscled woman. "Thank you Mahoja."

The muscled woman bowed and stepped to the door. She didn't leave the room but instead chose to remain in the background, keeping an eye on all that went on. She knew that these children were from the Black Order and she had to admit that she was curious.

"I'm terribly sorry," Anita said, a strange expression in her eyes as she gazed at the group of children. So young to be fighting such a harsh war. The youngest appeared to be around twelve, the oldest no more than nineteen. "But General Cross left three days ago, bound for Edo."

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, clenching his hands into fists. So General Cross had actually been in the city when they had arrived. If it hadn't been for that damn Noah's attack and his subsequent illness then they might have finally caught up to him.

"Calm down," Allen said in a quiet voice. "He's not that far ahead of us. All we have to do is travel to Edo and meet up with him there."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Anita said quietly.

"Excuse me," Allen said, still being polite. "But why not?"

"Because we received word this morning that General Cross' ship was destroyed at sea," Anita replied, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And all on board were lost."

Lenalee gasped in surprise and her gaze automatically shifted to Allen, to see how he would take the news of his master's death. There was a strange expression in the gray eyes of the British boy but then it disappeared and he shook his head.

"No, you're wrong."

"What?" Anita said.

"My Master isn't dead," Allen stated calmly.

He said those words with such conviction that it would be hard to argue with him. His words simply left no room for argument. Allen was certain that the words he spoke were the truth and he wasn't going to allow anyone to tell him anything different.

There was simply no way that General Cross Marian would die in a shipwreck.

"Are you certain?" Anita asked, a hopeful tone in her voice as she posed this question to the General's apprentice. It was as though she had needed to hear those words just as much as Allen had needed to say them.

"Master's still alive," Allen said. "I'm sure of it."

"Well then," Anita said, seeming to gain a spark of life that she hadn't possessed earlier. She got to her feet and turned her attention to the woman who was still standing near the door. "Mahoja, summon the crew and have them prepare my ship."

"Mistress?"

"Tomorrow we depart for Edo."

"Right," Mahoja said, happy to see that the spark of life had returned to her Mistress' eyes. She was grateful to the young Exorcist boy for renewing Anita's hope and would do anything in her power to aid them in their mission. No matter the cost.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. I realize that the series of events is a little off but that's just the way that it has to be. The music has ceased for now but rest assured the song will continue. Til next we meet.

Allen: I can't believe he's gone... we were so close.  
Toushirou: I'm going to kill him when we finally do catch up.  
The Musician: Careful there, Cross has a fan club. That could be dangerous.  
Allen: How the hell do you keep getting out?!  
The Musician: 'Runs for cover'


	19. The Akuma Attack

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Early Update! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Chapter Nineteen - The Akuma Attack

The next morning the group of Exorcists found themselves standing on a dock in front of a rather large ship. A group of men, assumed to be the crew, were also standing there and the two groups eyed one another in a cautious manner. Hitsugaya was standing off to himself, appearing to be lost in thought, and Allen desperately hoped that they could get underway without any trouble.

"I have a bad feeling," Lavi commented, his gaze shifting over to the spot where Hitsugaya was standing. He kept his voice low so that the boy wouldn't hear as he spoke to Allen and Lenalee. "He's been acting funny ever since our fight with that Noah woman."

"I've noticed it as well," Allen said in a quiet voice.

"But every time we bring up the subject he just snaps out that he's fine," Lenalee said in a low voice, her gaze momentarily shifting toward the young Shinigami Exorcist before returning to Allen. "It's so obvious that he's not fine and yet he still won't admit to the fact that something is wrong."

Allen nodded. "I think it's a defensive mechanism. He's been hurt before and wants to make sure that it doesn't happen again so he built a wall against people and he does everything in his power to maintain that wall. He's afraid to let people see that he has a weakness."

"Allen," Lenalee whispered, thinking back to the small bits that she knew about Allen's childhood. It sounded as though he were describing something that he was intimately familiar with and yet the Allen that she knew was friendly toward everyone. This had to be related to the past that he barely spoke of.

"If you guys don't stop staring at me I'm going to use Hyourinmaru on all three of you," a voice warned, breaking into their thoughts. "I don't care if we are supposed to be on the same side."

"He doesn't miss anything does he?" Lavi asked, casting a wary gaze in the boy's direction. He didn't doubt for a second that Hitsugaya would go through with that threat if he were pushed and he actually shuddered involuntarily.

"No, not really," Allen said.

"So," a feminine voice called out, calling the attention of the Exorcists over to the spot where Anita and Mahoja were standing. "Are you ready to travel to Edo?"

"Yes," the four youths answered. Even Hitsugaya had moved over to stand beside his comrades at this point and there was a determined expression in his teal eyes as he answered this question in the affirmative. He desperately wanted to track down General Cross but now it had nothing to do with ending this mission or beating the man to a bloody pulp.

Now all he wanted was to know everything that it was possible to know about everyone who was involved with the Millennium Earl and the Clan of Noah. Perhaps that way he would learn something about himself in the process. That was his new goal.

"Come on guys," Anita said, offering the group of Exorcists a smile. "Let's go to Edo!"

* * *

Lulubell had been summoned to the headquarters of the Millennium Earl and for once the Noah chose not to resume her feline form. She shifted into her Noah persona and then entered the room where the Earl was sitting in a rocking chair, surrounded by telephones and glowing jack-o-lanterns. "You wished to speak to me Lord Millennium?"

"Yes," the Millennium Earl said, his gaze shifting to the Noah of Lust. "Your mission was to delay the Exorcists so that they failed to meet up with Cross, which you did. Now I'm going to send a group of Akuma to take care of the problem once and for all."

For the first time Lulubell's gaze shifted from the Earl and she saw a tremendous number of Akuma assembled in the room. She'd had tunnel vision before and hadn't noticed that the Earl was surrounded by his minions. "There are so many."

The Earl nodded. "With so many Akuma they don't stand a chance."

"Shall I go with them Lord Millennium?"

"That shouldn't be necessary," the Millennium Earl said, the perpetual smile that was plastered across his face growing even larger. "There's no way that they can fight off this many Akuma. This will be the end of those troublesome little children."

* * *

"This is going to take forever," Hitsugaya muttered darkly to himself as he watched Allen and Lavi helping the crew to load the ship for the journey to Edo. They were probably expecting for him to lend them a hand but of course he had no intentions of doing that. That might lead them to the mistaken conclusion that he was a nice guy and he simply couldn't have that.

_**"You're not as bad as you make yourself out to be," **_a strange and yet at the same time familiar voice echoed through his mind.

"Where have I heard that before?" the young Shinigami Exorcist asked himself, a frown on his face. It seemed as though someone had once spoken these words to him but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't summon up an image of the person.

He drew a blank and eventually gave up, shrugging his shoulders and pretending that he wasn't bothered by this. It was an act, of course, but so far it had been working so the young boy decided to keep it up. Perhaps he would even eventually be able to fool himself.

"You know Toushirou," Lavi called out as he hauled a large crate onto the ship. "It wouldn't kill you to help us out a little."

"It might," Hitsugaya said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Lavi opened his mouth to say something, most likely something rude, however he never got the chance. Allen had came to stand beside him and the group noticed that his cursed eye was glowing a bright red. Instantly on the alert the group of Exorcists began to scan the horizon, unfortunately nothing was immediately visible. Growling low in his throat Hitsugaya drew Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore secured across his back and prepared for the attack that he knew was coming.

"They're coming," the white haired boy muttered.

"And there are a lot of them," Allen added as he came to stand beside Hitsugaya.

The two white haired youths gazed off into the distance, awaiting the approaching storm. There was no way for them to know exactly how many Akuma were approaching but it was obvious that their numbers were significant. And there were only four of them who could fight.

"This isn't good," Lavi commented, propping his hammer on his shoulder.

"Oh come on," a childish voice called out, effectively causing the Exorcists' attention to shift away from the approaching Akuma. There, perched on the rail of the ship, was Road Kamelot. "I think this is going to turn out to be marvelous fun."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Hitsugaya exclaimed as he caught sight of yet another unwelcome guest. The Noah who went by the name of Tyki Mikk was standing a few feet away from Road, casually leaning up against the ship's cabin.

"Hello boy," the Noah said in a calm voice, waving a hand at the Shinigami Exorcist.

"Damn it!" Lavi exclaimed as he eyed the Noah warily. "How the hell are we going to fight them and the Akuma at the same time."

"We aren't," Hitsugaya muttered, his jaw set. He shifted his teal eyed gaze back to the Noah. "You want Allen and myself am I correct in that assumption?"

"Well," Tyki said slowly, his gaze shifting around to the other two Exorcists as well as the crew. "It would probably be a good idea to kill everyone but our orders were to make sure that the two white haired boys ceased breathing so yes, for all intents and purposes, we are only after you."

"Good," Hitsugaya said, casually walking toward the spot where the Noah was standing. "Then we'll adjourn somewhere else."

Allen's gaze shifted frantically back and forth between Hitsugaya, and his other two friends. He didn't want to leave them alone to fight the approaching Akuma but on the other hand he didn't want them to get drawn into the fight with the Noah. In the end he decided that he would have to do as Hitsugaya said and hope that Lavi and Lenalee could hold their own against the Akuma. After all they stood a better chance against the Akuma.

Lavi could see the indecision that was playing across Allen's face and he offered the younger boy a smile. "We'll be just fine. Lenalee and I can take care of a few measly Akuma."

Allen returned Lavi's smile but his was shaky.

"Let us retire then," Tyki said, walking over to the spot where Road was seated on the rail.

Both Hitsugaya and Allen nodded and together the two Noah and the two white haired Exorcists departed, leaving the battleground via one of Road's enchanted doors. Lavi and Lenalee could only watch as their friends disappeared, thinking to themselves that it was a bad idea.

But they didn't have long to dwell on these thoughts since the sky was soon filled with Akuma. Holding up his hammer Lavi turned to Lenalee. "Are you ready?"

Lenalee nodded. "Innocence Activate!"

Anita watched as the two Exorcists leapt into the air and began to attack the Akuma. They were both impressive fighters but the woman couldn't help but feel that the odds were stacked decidedly against them. Perhaps the two Noah had intended for this to happen when they had taken the two white haired boys.

"This doesn't look good," she murmured.

"Madam," Mahoja said, coming to stand by her mistress' side. "We should help them in the fight."

Anita nodded, snapping back to the present. They were by no means on the same level as the Exorcists but they had weapons and they could fight. It may not be much but they had to offer whatever help that they could to these youths who were searching for General Cross.

"Everyone to your stations," Anita called out in her most commanding voice. "If we're going to die then we're going down fighting."

"Aye!" the crew called out, raising their hands into the air.

Having made the decision to fight the crew members all scrambled to their battle stations. Arming the guns and catapults the crew began to fire at the Akuma, at the same time being careful not to strike the two Exorcists who were battling the Akuma in the sky.

Using the power of the Dark Boots Lenalee bounced from one Akuma to the next, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. She wanted to defeat the enemy quickly so that she and Lavi could search for Allen and Hitsugaya. She didn't like the fact that the two white haired boys had gone off with a couple of Noah and she couldn't keep herself from worrying about them even though she knew that her mind should be focused one hundred percent on the battle.

"Please be safe you guys," she thought to herself as she laid waste to another group of Akuma.

* * *

"Do you see that?" Bookman asked, pointing his finger toward the horizon.

Miranda and Krory both nodded, having seen the fires that were blazing just over the tree line. It seemed as though a fierce battle was raging near the shore and countless Akuma were visible. Their guns were firing and the three Exorcists began running toward the scene of the battle.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Bookman muttered as he and the two new Exorcists made their way to the battle ground. It was likely that the Cross Group was somehow involved since there were so many Akuma. There wasn't really anything else that would cause so many to gather.

A/N - and there's chapter nineteen. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Lavi: This looks like trouble.  
Allen: You think you've got it bad...  
Lenalee: No one told you to go with the Noah  
Hitsugaya: Um, yea they kinda did.


	20. Battle's End

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man nor Bleach

Chapter Twenty - Battle's End

"Lavi!" Lenalee cried out as a level two Akuma struck out at her friend, almost causing him to lose his grip on the hammer that he was using to fight with. The red haired Exorcist managed to recover but he didn't know how much longer he and Lenalee could hold their own against the enemies. There were more of them than even Lavi's bookman brain could count and they were stronger than the Akuma that they were accustomed to fighting.

This battle was shaping up to be much more difficult than either Lavi or Lenalee had invisioned it and both young Exorcists found themselves struggling to destroy the Akuma and keep themselves from being torn to shreds by the horde.

And they were distracting each other because neither wanted any harm to come to the other.

"Your guard is down you fool!"

Lavi's head whipped around so fast that he was amazed he didn't give himself a serious case of whiplash. He would know that voice, as well as the insult, anywhere and therefore he wasn't surprised when Bookman launched a series of needles from his finger tips. The level two Akuma exploded and Lavi allowed himself to heave a sigh of relief.

"Gramps!" he exclaimed, happier than he would ever admit to see the old man who frequently made his life more difficult than it should ever have to be.

"Looks like you guys could use some help," another familiar voice said as a blur of black launched into the air. Krory leapt from one Akuma to another, sucking their blood as he went. A series of explosions followed along in the Exorcist vampire's wake.

"Krory!" Lenalee exclaimed, her eyes practically lighting up as her gaze shifted back and forth between the reinforcements that had arrived just in the nick of time. She was so happy to see all of them. "And Bookman... and Miranda too!"

Both Lavi and Lenalee were happy to see the reinforcements and they returned to the battle with renewed vigor. With the addition of the three new arrivals they now had five Exorcists and the odds weren't nearly as one sided now.

* * *

The battle was fierce and seemed to last forever but finally the last of the Akuma fell at the hands of the Exorcists. Unfortunately the battle had taken a toll on the ship that they had been intending to use to travel to Edo in search of General Cross. The once pristine ship was now a smoldering heap that looked as though it were only minutes away from sinking.

"I'm sorry," Anita apologized as she and Mahoja joined the group of Exorcists. "If only we'd..."

"It's alright," a slightly nervous voice said, interrupting Anita's apology. A black haired woman, one of the new arrivals, held out her arm. "Time Record, Activate!"

The ship was surrounded by a glowing light and in the blink of an eye returned to it's original form. Everyone on board gaped in shock, not having forsaw this turn of events and Miranda blushed as all gaze focused on her. She was still new to her Innocence but it made her heart swell to be able to help her comrades.

"Where are Allen and Toushirou?" Bookman asked, his searching gaze scanning the inhabitants of the ship for any sign of the two white haired Exorcists.

Lenalee's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. Having been caught up in the battle with the Akuma she had briefly forgotten the fact that two of the members of her family had left to fight two members of the Clan of Noah.

"They left with two of the Noah," Lavi replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Our orders were to find General Cross as soon as possible," Bookman said, his gaze shifting back and forth between the assembled Exorcists. "And since Miranda can only maintain her Innocence for a limited time I'm afraid that we have no choice except to go on to Edo without them."

"B... Bookman," Lenalee gasped, her eyes wide and horrified.

"It's what they would want," Lavi said, a piercing look in his one visible green eye.

"We have no choice," Bookman said calmly. "We need the ship and for that we require Miranda's Innocence."

Realizing that there was really nothing that she could do about the situation Lenalee whirled around and dashed off toward the cabin that had been designated as her's. Tears spilled from her eyes as she thought about Allen and Hitsugaya, both of whom had left with the Noah in order to keep the rest of them safe.

"I'm sorry," she whispered through her tears.

The rational part of her mind, the part that had been trained by the Black Order, knew that they were only doing what they had to do in order to complete their mission. No one wanted to leave Allen and Hitsugaya behind but Miranda could only maintain the activation of her Innocence for so long and they had to reach Edo in that time period.

All of this she knew and yet she couldn't keep the tears from falling as she thought about the two white haired youths who had followed the Noah into the unknown. Lenalee knew that they had only gone to protect her and the others from the Noah and she hated that fact.

It made her feel guilty.

She didn't like the thoughts of two of her family members sacrificing themselves so that she could remain safe and she intended to thoroughly chew both Allen and Hitsugaya out as soon as they were reunited. If... But Lenalee refused to allow that thought to even form.

She would see both of them again. She knew it.

* * *

Allen's gray eyed gaze surveyed the room that he and Hitsugaya had been led to by the two members of the Clan of Noah. This strange realm filled with brightly wrapped boxes and floating candles was horrifyingly familiar to him. He, Lenalee and Miranda had encountered the Noah named Road once before and Allen was painfully aware of how that encounter had ended.

And this time there were two Noah.

This did not bode well for him and Hitsugaya.

For his part Hitsugaya was aware that he and Allen were facing almost impossible odds, having fought against the Noah before, but he was unwilling to back down. It simply wasn't in his nature to run away from a fight and he was determined to stand his ground against the enemy, no matter what the consequences of that action turned out to be.

And as the young Shinigami Exorcist walked along toward his destiny he was once again assaulted with visions that he was unable to explain. Something about the Noah always triggered this reaction and now it was more irritating than confusing to the young captain. Hitsugaya desperately wanted to know what his connection to these people was but that was not a top priority at this moment in time.

Remaining alive was the top priority at this moment.

_**"You will not escape..."**_

Hitsugaya's teal eyes opened wide as he heard this voice echo in his mind and he gasped as he realized that it was the voice of the Millennium Earl. He had only encountered the Earl once but the voice had been so familiar and had burned its self into his mind forever.

"Oh this is going to be so much fun!" Road exclaimed as she twirled around in a circle, a broad smile spreading across her face. "I call dibs on Allen Walker."

"Whatever," Tyki said casually, not really caring which of the Exorcists he did away with. His orders were to make sure that both of them ended up dead and as long as that happened the Noah of Pleasure could care less who did the actual killing. A somewhat sadistic grin spread across his face as he turned to face the shorter of the two white haired boys. "I guess that means you're mine boy."

"Tch," Hitsugaya scoffed, reaching up and grasping the hilt of Hyourinmaru. With one fluid motion the boy drew the sword that he wore secured across his back and held the blade out in front of him. The visions and the voices were still echoing in his mind however Hitsugaya forced them back as he faced off against the Noah of Pleasure. He knew that the battle would not be an easy one but he was determined not to lose.

"That look," Tyki said, the grin on his face becoming even wider. "Pure hatred."

"Careful Tyki," Road called out, holding up her hands and summoning a group of candles toward her. "I think he really wants to kill you."

"You should be more concerned about yourself," Allen said as he summoned the sword and pointed it at the Noah of Dreams. There was a cold look in his eye as he once again faced off against Road Kamelot. The young Exorcist was determined not to allow the hesitation that he had felt the last time to interfere with this battle. Human or not this time he would finish the battle with her.

Road merely laughed.

Not waiting for her to initiate the battle Allen leapt forward, swinging his sword toward the Noah. Road easily dodged the attack and she smiled at the young man, enjoying the battle. With a flick of her wrist Road sent a barage of candles toward Allen and it was his turn to dodge.

And thanks to the rigorous training that Hitsugaya had put him through Allen found himself able to easily dodge the attack.

This was different than the last time that the two of them had fought and it angered Road to a small extent. The last time that she had fought against him Allen had been much slower and she decided that she would have to increase the intensity of her attacks.

"So much fun!"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes as he listened to Road's exclaimation and an apologetic look actually appeared in the eyes of Tyki Mikk. "I'm sorry about that. She can get a bit over excited in battle. But never mind that; you and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Unfinished business...

It was a harmless enough statement and yet Hitsugaya found his mind once again calling forth flashes of things that the boy felt certain he should remember. And yet, even though he realized that he should remember, Hitsugaya felt that a small part of him didn't want to know.

"Tease!"

Hitsugaya focused his attention on the black and purple butterflies that rose to surround Tyki and he was struck by the fact that they resembled the Hell butterflies. Weird. "So what exactly do you intend to do with those?"

"The Tease are cannibal golems created by Lord Millennium," Tyki explained as he gazed around at his pets. "They're a tool that we use in battle."

Hitsugaya smirked, thinking that they weren't really going to be much use against a soul, but he wasn't about to share that little piece of information with the enemy. Having fought the Noah already he was well aware of the fact that he needed every advantage that he could get.

"I can't let him know that his little pets aren't going to be effective," Hitsugaya thought to himself, pointing the tip of Hyourinmaru toward the blackened ceiling. "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"

A huge dragon comprised of water and ice erupted from the tip of the young captain's zanpaktou and soared directly toward the large group of butterflies. The grin on Tyki's face faltered as he watched the strange dragon freeze the group of Tease, which fell to the ground and shattered.

"You're going to pay for that boy," he said, his narrow eyed gaze focused on Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya instinctively knew that he should be worried about Tyki's threat but he felt a strange calmness surround him. There was no place for fear in this battle and he refused to show even the slightest trace to his enemy.

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. The fight will continue in the next chapter so stay tuned.


	21. Crown Clown

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man nor Bleach

Chapter Twenty-One - Crown Clown

"You're better than I thought you would be boy," Tyki was forced to admit as Hitsugaya dodged yet another one of the man's attacks. The two of them had been fighting for a little while and yet Hitsugaya had yet to sustain even a single scratch.

Tyki was somewhat impressed by that.

For his part Hitsugaya was also amazed that he continued to be able to dodge the attacks. This Noah was more intense than any enemy that he had fought thus far and he considered himself lucky to have escaped this battle virtually unscathed.

Unfortunately he didn't know how much longer he could pull it off.

And it wouldn't matter if he couldn't manage to land a blow to the man. Dodging was all well and good but it wasn't going to help him win the battle. Hitsugaya knew that he needed to find Tyki's weak point and make use of it if he were to have any hope of winning this fight.

And then there was his companion, whose life he was supposed to be protecting. Allen was engaged in a battle with the Noah of Dreams, Road Kamelot, and although he was holding his own at the moment Hitsugaya didn't know how much longer that would last.

_"I need to finish this so that I can help him," _Hitsugaya thought to himself as he raised the blade of his sword and squared off against Tyki Mikk.

"You seem distracted boy," Tyki said, a taunting tone evident in his voice. He gazed at the young Exorcist through cold golden eyes and he could easily tell that Hitsugaya's thoughts were only partially focused on the fight. "You should pay attention or... Wait, I shouldn't say that. You're going to die no matter what you do so you can focus on whatever you like. It won't affect the outcome."

"That's what you think," Hitsugaya said through gritted teeth.

He knew that the Noah had a point; he was distracted. His thoughts seemed to be divided between the current fight, the fact that Allen was currently in danger, and the visions that still haunted him. They became stronger whenever he happened to be in the presence of anyone from the Clan of Noah and at the moment Hitsugaya was being overwhelmed by them.

The boy shook his head, in an effort to rid himself of the visions. They weren't helping him at the moment and he definitely didn't need any more distractions. Allen was enough of a distraction on his own since his safety was the sole purpose for Hitsugaya being in the world of the living.

"Damn it!" the boy exclaimed, a blue aura growing around him. This had to end and it had to end now.

* * *

As Allen dodged yet another round of candles fired at him by the Noah of Dreams, Road Kamelot, his thoughts briefly flashed back to the friends that he and Hitsugaya had left behind when they had accompanied the two Noah into this realm. He hoped that Lenalee and Lavi were okay but at this point he didn't really have the time to dwell on their well being.

This fact was driven home as the sharp tip of one of Road's candles grazed the flesh of his right arm.

Allen bit back the scream of pain that threatened to burst forth and focused all of his attention on the battle that he was currently engaged in. Thoughts of his friends would have to wait until he had dealt with this situation. Holding up his sword once more he dashed toward the spot where Road was standing, a sadistic grin spread across her face.

Her golden eyes were practically glowing as Road raised her arm and directed yet another group of candles toward the white haired Exorcist. She thoroughly enjoyed playing with this Exorcist named Allen and had every intention of making the most of this fight.

After all she had to have all the fun that she could before she ended the young man's life.

It was painfully obvious that Road was enjoying this battle and Allen fully intended to put an end to that enjoyment. Swinging the blade of his sword he sliced a group of the candles in half before turning his blade to Road.

"Yay!" Road exclaimed, enjoying the new light that had appeared in Allen's gray eyes. There was new determination and this almost ensured that she would be able to have more fun with the young Exorcist before she eventually ended his life. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Allen hated the fact that this young girl, a human no less, thought of this battle as an infinite game but he was determined that the game would end this time. He had dedicated his life to freeing the souls of the Akuma and was loathe to fight against a human but it had became clear that the Noah weren't going to stop.

Something had to be done.

The white haired youth could hear the sounds of the battle that was going on between Hitsugaya and the Noah that went by the name of Tyki Mikk but he forced himself to ignore it. There wasn't anything that he could do for his friend at this point since he was occupied by his own life and death battle.

"I'm sorry Toushirou..."

Swinging his sword Allen launched himself forward. Road smiled as she dodged the blows aimed at her by the boy, taking a couple of minutes to test his skills. He had improved since the last time that the two of them had fought against one another and despite herself she found that she was somewhat impressed.

"You've gotten better," she said, her tone somewhat taunting as she raised her hand. A line of sharpened candles appeared behind the Noah, ready for the attack. "But it isn't enough. After all, we of the Clan of Noah are superhuman."

Talk ceased at this point as the Noah and the Exorcist engaged in a intense battle. Allen dodged the candles that were being launched at him by Road, at the same time swinging the blade of his sword. At the same time Road was dodging the attacks aimed at her by Allen, the smile still resolutely on her face. The two jumped around, each dodging the attacks of the other, until Road became tired of the pointless dance.

"Enough."

Now irritated the Noah intensified the severity of her attacks and Allen gasped as one of the sharpened candles pierced the flesh of his right shoulder. His arm immediately went numb, as though the attack had struck the nerves in his shoulder, and the boy's eyes widened in horror. _"Well," _he thought wryly. _"At least it wasn't my left arm."_

He was in pain but Allen knew that he couldn't let up with the intensity of his attacks so he leapt forward, still intent on winning the battle. _"I have to do this," _he thought to himself as he struck out at the Noah. This time the blade of the sword grazed the flesh of Road's arm, causing the smile to fade away.

Glaring daggers at the Exorcist who had dared to strike her Road launched a furious attack. Unable to block all of the candles Allen found himself pinned to the wall, surrounded by yet more candles. His gaze briefly went to his companion but Hitsugaya was still engaged in his fight with Tyki Mikk and didn't appear to be in any position to help him.

Allen's head fell as he gazed about; it didn't look like there was any way to escape this situation and he was almost ready to resign himself to death again. Vaguely he found himself wondering what would happen when a soul was killed but this thought was interrupted when an image of his friends flashed through his mind.

Lenalee...

Lavi...

Even BaKanda...

_"No," _the young Exorcist thought, a new determination resounding through his soul. _"There's no way that I'm going to let all of them down. I won't do it!" _

After he had turned Mana into an Akuma and subsequently destroyed him the boy had decided to devote his soul to freeing the trapped Akuma. Now, after thinking of the friends that he would leave behind Allen made a new decision. Gazing down at his hands he decided that his left hand would be devoted to the Akuma while his right hand would be devoted to the humans.

As this thought went through his mind Allen was suddenly surrounded by a strange, glowing light. The candles shot from the wall, releasing Allen from the trap. As though in a daze Allen got to his feet and Road watched in shocked amazement as the strange young Exorcist changed.

A white cowl was wrapped around the boy's shoulders and a strange silver mask was covering his eyes and nose. His left hand was red while his right hand was white. Seeming to be in a trance Allen leapt into the air, his white cloak wrapping around him as though to form a shield.

"Tyki!" Road called out, turning her attention to the Noah of Pleasure.

Tyki glanced over at his 'sister' and his eyes widened as he noticed the change in the Exorcist named Allen Walker. He could sense that the boy was more powerful now than before and, turning his back on his own opponent, he leapt over to the spot where Road was standing.

Slightly irritated that his opponent had fled Hitsugaya used his flash-step to come to stand beside Allen. He could also tell that his companion was more powerful now and a smirk spread across his face. The young prodigy had always suspected that the boy's powers evolved faster when he was facing death and this had proven his point.

"Let's fight them together," Tyki proposed, his cold gaze locked on the two white haired Exorcists. "Shall we Road?"

"Oh yes!" Road said, clapping her hands together.

"Well," Hitsugaya said, wiping away a trail of blood from his mouth. "Since they're going to work together I suppose it's only logical that we do the same. What do you say Allen?"

Allen nodded, his gaze remaining locked on the two members of the Clan of Noah.

Hitsugaya held up his zanpaktou, while Allen held up his newly acquired claws, and together the two white haired youths leapt toward their enemies. Both were determined to end this fight once and for all and this determination served to free them from any feelings of fear.

"Tease!"

Tyki held up his hands and summoned the black and purple cannibal golems. The creatures hovered around the Noah for a moment before flying toward the two Exorcists. Shaking his head Hitsugaya swung the blade of Hyourinmaru, effectively freezing the golems in mid air. The creatures fell to the ground, where they all shattered. Hitsugaya couldn't believe that the Noah was still attempting to use those things and he turned back to the man, a smirk on his face.

Tyki's face twisted until he resembled a monster more than a man and he glared at the Shinigami/Exorcist. The brat would pay for the destructions of his pets and Tyki had every intention of making him suffer before finally allowing him to die.

Now irritated at the two white haired Exorcists the two members of the Clan of Noah decided to combine their attacks. This would make it much harder for the two boys to dodge or counter and, although they were loathe to resort to such measures, it seemed to be the only way to make sure that the Exorcists fell.

The Millennium Earl had ordered their deaths and that would be the outcome of this encounter. Failure was not an option.

"So much for self restraint," Tyki muttered, holding a gloved hand in front of his face.

Exorcists faced off against Noah, each glaring at the other. Neither group was willing to lose the fight but both were powerful. All that remained was to find out which one was more powerful. The energy swirling around the group collided sending sparks up into the air.

Soon the battle would truly begin.

A/N - and there's chapter twenty-one! Yay, Allen has his upgraded Innocence now. I had to do it a different way since he's dead and his Innocence has already combined with him so I chose to make the Noah bring it out. Poetic justice I'd say. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	22. Mysterious Music

Disclaimer - I own neither Bleach nor D Gray Man

Chapter Twenty-Two - Mysterious Music

"Toushirou!" Allen exclaimed as he watched his companion fly across the room, hitting the wall with an audible thud. The young Shinigami/Exorcist slid down the wall and landed on his side, seemingly stunned by the blow. Ignoring the two opponents that they were facing Allen ran toward his friend. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live," Hitsugaya muttered, getting shakily to his feet. He immediately lost his balance and was forced to kneel on the ground, lest he collapse in a heap. It appeared as though he'd hit the wall harder than he had previously thought.

"We need to do something," Allen said, his gray eyed gaze focused on their opponents. Both Noah were standing across the room, glaring at them through cold golden eyes.

"I know," Hitsugaya said, for once agreeing completely with Allen. They were barely managing to hold their own against the two Noah and they definitely needed a plan in order to emerge from this battle victorious. And neither was willing to accept failure.

"Tyki," Road said, her gaze focused on the two white haired youths. The enjoyment of torturing the pair was diminishing with each attack and now the young girl was growing bored. It was time to finish this and move on to something more fun. "I think it's time that we end this."

"Right," Tyki said, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

Neither Hitsugaya nor Allen had any idea what the two Noah were plotting however Hitsugaya's eyes widened as the two Noah began to combine their power. He could actually feel it growing and instinctively knew that neither he nor Allen would be able to survive the attack if they were hit by it directly. An inner voice was telling him that he had to do something and that he had to do it fast. A blank expression appeared in the youth's eyes as he once again got slowly to his feet.

"Toushirou...."

Allen gazed at his friend, a stunned expression on his face. It appeared as though Hitsugaya had gone into some kind of trance; he was staring at the pair of Noah that they were facing off against but Allen couldn't be certain that he was actually seeing anything. And then the boy's eyes changed....

Allen gasped, completely stunned by this change in his friend. "I don't understand. Toushirou.... what's going on?"

As though he were operating on auto pilot the Shinigami/Exorcist held up his sword. It looked as though the boy were going to attack but when the boy finally swung the blade of his sword it was in slow motion. As though he were going through the moves of a kata and not facing off against an enemy.

"I think he's gone crazy," Road commented as she watched the boy swing the sword slowly in an arc in front of both him and Allen.

"I think you're...."

Tyki's words were cut off abruptly as a haunting melody suddenly filled the air. The source of the song was unclear but the two Noah stared in disbelief as a bubble of energy seemed to envelope the two Exorcists. Seconds later the melody faded and the energy disappeared, revealing that the two Exorcists were gone.

"What just happened?" Road demanded, her glaring gaze focused on the spot where their opponents had been mere seconds before.

"I think that we should report back to Lord Millennium immediately," Tyki said, unnerved by the Exorcists' sudden escape. That music had seemed familiar to him but.... it just wasn't possible. That man was long dead and there was no way....

"Right."

* * *

Having blacked out briefly Allen opened his eyes and gazed around at his surroundings. No longer trapped in Road's dimension it appeared as though he and Hitsugaya had returned to the dock where they had left their friends fighting against the Akuma.

The only difference was that the ship was gone.

"I hope everyone's alright," Allen muttered to himself before he turned his attention to his companion. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask Hitsugaya about what had just happened but it appeared as though that would have to wait.

The boy was lying on the ground beside him, unconscious.

Reaching toward the boy Allen pulled open one of his eyelids and the young Exorcist actually heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the boy's eye was teal and not... _"I must have imagined that," _Allen thought to himself, shaking his head. It was the stress of this journey to track down Master Cross, that had to be the explanation. After all there was simply no way that Hitsugaya could be one of them.

He hadn't even known anything about them after all.

A groan signaled the boy's return to the world of consciousness and Allen quickly moved away from him. He didn't fancy irritating his partner and he had the feeling that his close proximity would do just that. Allen watched as Hitsugaya opened his eyes and then shakily sat up.

The Shinigami/Exorcist gazed around and a confused expression appeared on his face. "How the hell did we get back here?"

"You don't remember?" Allen questioned, his gray eyed gaze focused on the smaller boy.

"No," Hitsugaya snapped, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Allen. "Should I?"

"You're the one who brought us back here," Allen told his friend, watching his face so that he could gauge his reaction to the news. "You swung your sword in slow motion and we were transported back here."

With a shaking hand Hitsugaya reached out and picked up the sword that was lying on the ground beside him, gazing at the blade as though this were the first time that he had ever seen it. The strange blue aura that normally surrounded the blade was gone, replaced by some strange little symbols that appeared to be etched into the steel.

Symbols that had definitely not been there before.

"None of this makes any sense," Hitsugaya said, sheathing his sword and getting to his feet. "So what happened to the Noah?"

Allen shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have any idea."

"Well I suppose that we should hurry and meet up with the others," Hitsugaya said, heaving a sigh. He really wished that he knew what the hell was going on but the answers seemed elusive. Weird things kept happening but there wasn't anyone around who could explain to him what it all meant. And that was starting to irritate the boy.

"Right," Allen said, his gaze focused on the horizon. "But how?"

"Working on it," Hitsugaya said, pulling a strange device from the inside pocket of his Exorcists coat. The youth punched in a series of numbers and then turned his attention back to Allen. "We'll travel back to Soul Society and then use a Senkaimon to travel to Edo. It's the fastest way to get there and, if we're lucky, we should be able to meet up with the others."

Allen nodded and together he and Hitsugaya waited for the gate that would take them to Soul Society. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't somewhat concerned over the fact that Hitsugaya had been able to transport them out of Road's dimension and yet had no conscious memory of doing anything. There was definitely something odd about his companion and, after this latest incident, Allen found himself desperately wanting to know what it was.

* * *

When Road and Tyki arrived back at the manor of the Millennium Earl they quickly made their way to the dining room, instinctively knowing that this would be where they would find the Earl. When they stepped inside the room they saw that he was indeed sitting at his place at the head of the table and that Jasdero, Devit, and Skin were there as well.

All eyes turned toward the door as the Noah of Pleasure and the Noah of Dreams stepped into the room.

"Well?" the Earl said, after a couple of moments of silence. "Have you completed your mission? Are the two Exorcist boys dead?"

"There's something that we need to tell you concerning that," Tyki said in a calm voice as he and Road made their way across the room toward the table.

"I'm listening," the Earl said as Tyki and Road both took their customary seats. He gazed at them over the top of his little round spectacles, anxious to hear what they had to say. Anxious to know what had prevented them from fulfilling their mission because he could tell by the expressions on their faces that they had failed.

The two white haired Exorcists were still alive.

"We had them trapped," Road said, her expression cold. She still couldn't believe that the two boys had managed to escape when she and Tyki were on the verge of ending their miserable existences and needless to say she was angry over the entire situation. "And we were about to kill them when the short one, Hitsugaya, started swinging his sword around really slowly. Then the air filled with music, a strange force field surrounded them, and they vanished."

"Music..." the Earl repeated, his eyes growing wide and his perpetual grin turning sinister.

Tyki and Road both nodded and they could tell, by the pure hatred that filled the Earl's eyes, that he had reached the same conclusion that they had themselves; somehow the Musician had returned. But for some reason he didn't seem to remember any of them nor did he seem to have conscious control over his powers.

And on top of everything his appearance had changed. He looked like a child and not the man that they remembered.

"He will die," the Earl vowed, his voice calm and his tone deadly.

The Musician was the one who had betrayed them. A member of the Clan of Noah, the Noah of Praise, the boy had been one of the Earl's favored children until the day that he had betrayed them all. That had led to the Musician's death and yet somehow he had returned.

"I don't know by what magic he has returned," the Earl said, clenching his hands into fists. "But once the new Ark is complete I will personally make sure that the boy goes back to where he came from. Slowly and painfully."

* * *

"Come on Allen," Hitsugaya said once the portal into Soul Society had been opened for them. The young captain walked toward the Senkaimon and Allen quickly fell into step behind him. It was important that they meet up with their comrades as soon as possible and this was the fastest way that Hitsugaya could think of.

After all, they couldn't use flash-step without leaving their gigais behind and they needed them so that wasn't an option.

So the Senkaimon really was their only option.

Stepping through the Senkaimon Hitsugaya and Allen traveled back to Soul Society and, once there, Hitsugaya quickly set about forming another gate that would lead them to Edo. To the city where their comrades had traveled. The young Shinigami/Exorcist desperately wanted to seek out Head Captain Ukitake and ask the man if he had any idea what was going on but he knew that he didn't have the time to do that right now.

Perhaps once they had located General Cross he would be able to come back and find out if Ukitake knew anything about his life as a human. Knew anything about the strange powers that he seemed to possess and yet at the same time didn't know anything about.

The powers that he had no explanation for and little control over.

"I will find out," Hitsugaya vowed.

"Are you alright?" Allen asked his companion as the shorter boy set about summoning the Senkaimon that would take them back to the world of the living. Hitsugaya had such a tortured look in his eyes and Allen was worried about him. And after everything that he had witnessed he knew that all was not right with the boy.

"I'm fine," Hitsugaya said shortly. It was obviously a lie but Hitsugaya knew that it would be enough to ensure that Allen didn't press the issue. In truth he was about as far away from alright as it was possible to be but that wasn't something that he wanted to share with anyone.

He had a mission after all and he would complete that mission no matter what. Using a burst of reiatsu to open the Senkaimon he turned back to his companion. "Let's go."

"Right," Allen said.

A/N - and there's the end of another chapter and now it's blatantly obvious what's up with Hitsugaya. Which means that I get to reveal the winners of the contest. Yes winners. I decided to reward everyone who guessed correctly in the chapter where I introduced the challenge and those people are: Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, FallenHope-Angel and Nebelkind. Congratulations. If you're one of the winners then you can request a one-shot story. Just send me a PM telling me what you want. Now please leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter.


	23. Reunited

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Twenty-Three - Reunited

The journey through the Senkaimon worked out just as Hitsugaya hoped that it would and in no time he and Allen arrived in Japan. The young Shinigami Exorcist knew that they could have had Captain Urahara track down their comrades and then taken a portal to their exact location however he'd made the decision to put speed over accuracy.

And as a result he and Allen would have to track the others.

This was a mild annoyance but was something that they were going to have to deal with. But of course this didn't mean that Hitsugaya had to be happy about it. He was actually more than a little annoyed with the way that things had played out but there wasn't really any point in being angry about it. After all there wasn't anything that could be done to change things so the only thing that they could do was simply move forward.

This thought caused a vague memory to flash through HItsugaya's mind but he shrugged it off.

As for Allen he was still mulling over everything that had happened to them during their battle with the two members of the Clan of Noah. The transformation of his Innocence was shocking but it paled in comparison to the powers that Hitsugaya had shown.

And the look in his eyes as that eerie music had played…

Just thinking back on that moment caused shivers to travel down Allen's spine and the young boy shook involuntarily.

"What's your problem?" Hitsugaya asked his companion, noticing the shudder as well as the strange look on Allen's face. During the time that he had spent with the white haired teen Hitsugaya had became fairly accustomed to the strange reactions that Allen seemed prone to but this was different. And caused him to feel a measure of concern that he wouldn't have imagined possible. Was he actually beginning to like Allen?

"Oh it's nothing really," Allen lied, holding up his hands and hoping that he sounded convincing. After all, Hitsugaya didn't seem to remember what he had done and Allen wasn't so sure that telling him would be a good idea.

At least not at the present moment.

For his part Hitsugaya wasn't even the slightest bit convinced by Allen's assertion that nothing was wrong but he wasn't going to press the issue. There were things that he was hiding from his companion so if Allen wanted to hide a secret of his own then that was his right.

Hitsugaya wouldn't press for details.

Besides they didn't really have time for small talk. Hitsugaya was aware that the other Exorcists had continued with the mission to track down General Cross and the white haired youth wanted to meet back up with them. Because he was still convinced that finding Cross would help him answer some of the questions that now plagued him.

A list of questions that seemed to grow longer the more time that passed.

With this thought in mind Hitsugaya's hand reflexively went back, touching the hilt of Hyourinmaru. The sword had always been in his possession and yet the youth couldn't explain what had happened during that battle with the Noah. Nor did he have an explanation for the strange markings that now decorated the blade.

"This just gets stranger and stranger…" the white haired boy thought to himself as he and Allen traveled along.

Allen had been following along behind Hitsugaya, lost in his own thoughts, however that changed immediately as his cursed eye activated. Glancing around he quickly caught site of a large group of Akuma looming overhead. "Um Toushirou… we have company."

The Shinigami Exorcist glanced up and saw the hovering Akuma. And this sight only caused his irritation to grow in intensity. Reaching back he grasped the hilt of his zanpaktou. "Be gone with you," he snarled.

Hitsugaya only uttered these words out of frustration but, much to his surprise, they actually complied with the command. Without so much as a moment's hesitation the group of Akuma fled the scene, as though they were actually obeying the white haired youth's orders.

"What just happened?" Allen asked, his cursed eye deactivating as he turned his gaze to Hitsugaya.

All the other boy could do was shrug his shoulders. "Hell if I know… I didn't honestly expect for that to work."

"Strange…" This newest in a long line of strange events was making Allen even more concerned for his comrade. Exactly what was going on with the young Shinigami?

"Forget it," Hitsugaya said, shaking his head and releasing his grip on the hilt of his sword. "We have to meet up with the others. We don't have time to dwell on this."

"Right." Allen nodded his head but was finding it extremely difficult to banish the thoughts from his mind. Hitsugaya was displaying characteristics that were decidedly like those of the Noah but that didn't make any sense. Because Hitsugaya hadn't known anything about the Noah before being drafted into the Black Order.

So what exactly was going on?

"Could he actually be one of them and not know it?" This train of thought gave Allen pause and he didn't really want to believe that it could be true. And yet he couldn't keep the image of the boy's golden eyes out of his mind.

"Stop spacing out!"

Allen snapped back to reality as he heard this shouted command and he absently shook his head in an effort to rid himself of these thoughts that he didn't want. "Um I'm sorry about that."

Hitsugaya shrugged his shoulders. "Forget about it."

* * *

Having continued their journey after being separated from Allen and Hitsugaya the group of Exorcists now found themselves in Edo… which was infested with Akuma. And not just any Akuma, as they would come to find out. No these particular minions of the Earl were of a much higher level than those that the Exorcists were accustomed to dealing with.

"Big hammer, little hammer…"

"No one said that it would be like this," Lenalee said, her own Innocence activated. She, Lavi, Miranda and Bookman were currently surrounded by a large group of high level Akuma and things weren't exactly looking good for them.

"I swear when I find Cross…" Lavi snarled, holding his weapon at the ready.

"I told you that bastard is mine!"

All eyes focused on the owner of this new voice and the Exorcists watched as both Hitsugaya and Allen soared through the air, landing amongst the gathered Akuma. They couldn't fail to notice the fact that Allen's appearance had changed since last they saw him and Lenalee actually gaped at him.

"Hey buddy," Lavi said, heaving an audible sigh of relief. Although he would never openly admit to it he was thankful to see the two white haired boys. It would make the impending battle much easier. "What's up with the cloak?"

"New and improved Innocence," Allen replied, somewhat distracted. His eyes were focused on Hitsugaya, who had drawn his sword and was now gazing intently at the Akuma.

Hitsugaya stood before the Akuma, his blade raised, but his gaze wasn't really focused on any of them. It was almost as though the youth allowed his mind to wander as he swung the sword.

Once again as though in slow motion.

"What is up with him?" Lavi asked, his single visible green eye focused on Hitsugaya. He'd never seen the boy behave so strangely before and he found himself vaguely wondering if the stress of the war had been too much for the kid.

For his part Allen knew what was going to happen next and he spoke in a quiet voice, "Just watch and you'll see."

Lavi seemed somewhat disbelieving but focused his gaze back on Hitsugaya none the less. Hoping that he wasn't about to see the boy get mauled by the Akuma.

Hitsugaya continued to swing his blade around as though going through the motions of a kata and once again the eerie music filled the air. However the song was different this time and it had a very different affect. Instead of transporting them away from the battle site the song seemed to cause the Akuma to self destruct.

Allen's gaze widened in horror as he realized that Hitsugaya wasn't destroying them with Innocence. Rushing forward the teen seized Hitsugaya by the arm, effectively putting a stop to his movements. The song faded away and Hitsugaya turned to face Allen, an irritated expression in his eyes.

Eyes that were golden.

"What are you doing?" the Shinigami Exorcist demanded. There was a scowl on the shorter boy's face as he glared at Allen, not really understanding why his comrade seemed so angry. All he'd done was defeat the Akuma so what had set Allen off? This was probably the angriest that Hitsugaya had ever seen his charge and he was somewhat shocked. But that didn't diminish his anger over being accosted in such a manner.

"You destroyed their souls!" Allen exclaimed, feeling guilty that he'd allowed something like that to happen. It hadn't been his intention but this wasn't the outcome that he'd anticipated.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened upon hearing these words and, as they did so, returned to their normal teal color. He had briefly lost himself and in doing so had committed an unforgivable sin. Pulling free from Allen's grasp the white haired youth walked away from the group, overwhelmed by what he had inadvertently done.

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" he thought to himself, gazing down at his blade.

"Hey Toushirou…" Lavi called out to the boy, sensing that he was feeling bad about what had happened. "Are you…"

"It's Hitsugaya!" The young Shinigami Exorcist abruptly sheathed his sword and turned back to the group. "We should go… we have a mission to accomplish."

"Right," the others chorused.

A/N - I apologize profusely for the fact that it took me so long to update this! Please forgive! Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	24. Distant

Disclaimer - I own neither Bleach nor DGM

Chapter Twenty-Four - Distant

Once the group of Exorcists were reunited they continued to make their way through Edo. It was a silent trip, with each member of the group pretty much lost in their own thoughts. Lavi had made a couple of attempts to lighten the mood but soon gave it up as a lost cause. The others were too involved in their brooding to even pay any attention to his attempts at playful banter. Which was somewhat depressing for the junior Bookman.

He wasn't used to people ignoring his jokes and attempts at fun.

As he walked along with the rest of the group, the red haired Exorcist looked slightly crest fallen. Normally he could at least get an angry outburst from one if not both of the white haired boys but both appeared to be resolutely ignoring him.

Hitsugaya had been doing everything in his power to ignore the red head's attempts at getting the group to quote 'lighten up'. He was to preoccupied with the circumstances surrounding his destruction of the group of Akuma. The young Shinigami/Exorcist wasn't sure exactly what had happened but what he did know for a fact was that he had destroyed the souls that were trapped within the Akuma's bodies.

Which was unacceptable.

"And the worst part is I don't even know HOW I did it," the boy thought to himself as he followed along behind the others. He knew that Allen was still angry with him over what had happened and wanted nothing more than to be at the back of the group. Because he was just as angry with himself over what had happened. He had lost control and due to this fact innocent souls had been destroyed.

"You've proven yourselves to be quite the nuisance Exorcists," a voice suddenly called out from the skies above them.

The gazes of each member of the group simultaneously shifted toward the owner of the voice and both Allen and Hitsugaya were enraged to see the Millennium Earl floating above them. The fat man was hanging from his flying umbrella, surveying their group with a look of utter loathing. The perpetual grin that he wore had taken on a somewhat sinister look, making the man look even more demented than normal.

"EARL!"

Hitsugaya drew Hyourinmaru at the same time that Allen activated his newly acquired Innocence and together the two white haired youths leapt toward the man. Each intent upon destroying the man and ending the war once and for all. A gleam appeared in the eyes of the Millennium Earl as the two boys attacked him, as though they had played right into his plans. The moment that they launched themselves through the air a black portal appeared in front of them, in the shape of a pentacle.

"Now you shall both be destroyed along with the Ark," the Earl said, the grin on his face growing, if possible, even wider.

"Allen! Toushirou!"

The two boys heard Lenalee's cries but it was too late for them to do anything about their situation. The momentum from their leaps propelled them forward and the portal seemed to be drawing them in. Even though they realized what was happening it was far too late for either of them to do anything about the sitation.

"Hurry!" Pulling out his hammer Lavi quickly activated his Innocence and leapt onto the enlarged hammer. Lenalee and Krory managed to jump on before the red haired Exorcist called out, "Extend."

Using the hammer Lavi propelled them through the portal just before it closed. The group of Exorcists seemed to fall through an abyss before landing, with an audible thump, on the ground.

"Ow…" Lenalee moaned, grateful for the fact that she'd landed at the top of the heap. She couldn't imagine how much more it must have hurt for those at the bottom of the pile. Gazing down she saw that she was lying on Lavi, who was on top of Krory, who was lying on Allen. And, at the very bottom of the pile, was a very disgruntled looking Hitsugaya. Lenalee winced in sympathy, finding it unfair that the smallest member of their group had ended up in that position.

"Get the hell off me," a voice growled from the bottom of the human pyramid.

"Sorry about that Toushirou," Lavi said as he and the others slowly got to their feet. It took a moment for the two white haired youths to get to their feet, having been at the bottom of the pile. This resulted in both youths having the wind knocked out of them but both Allen and Hitsugaya recovered quickly. Soon the entire group were standing in a semi-circle, surveying their surroundings.

"Where are we?" Krory asked.

They were surrounded by white buildings and it appeared to the group that they had landed in some kind of town. But why had the Earl chosen to send them here? What exactly was he planning to do?

"Looks like some kind of town," Lavi observed, gazing around. A keen light shone in his one visible green eye and it was obvious that the junior Bookman was recording his surroundings meticulously. "But what I really want to know is why exactly we were sent here? I mean the Earl must have something planned… and why was his target merely Allen and Toushirou?"

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya snarled, his teal eyes narrowing in anger. "I swear I'm going to kill that bastard."

"That would indeed be something," a calm voice called out, startling the group. "Seeing as you're all trapped here."

All eyes focused on a very familiar man walking down the street toward them. His hair was slightly messier than usual but there could be no mistaking who it was. The Noah of Pleasure was striding toward them, looking for all the world as though he was without a care. This could have been a picnic or some other kind of friendly meeting for all the concern he showed as he approached the group of Exorcists.

"Tyki!" Allen exclaimed at the same time that Hitsugaya's hand reflexively went to the hilt of his sword.

"Lord Millennium wasn't at all happy that Road and I failed to kill the two of you," Tyki said, casually reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a cigarette. "So he's decided to let you be destroyed along with this Ark."

A strange light appeared in Hitsugaya's eyes as he heard this explanation. It seemed vaguely familiar to him for some reason but he couldn't place where he had heard it.

"Yes," Tyki continued. "The download is nearly complete…" At this point, he gestured toward his surroundings. "and soon this will all be destroyed."

"Destroyed?" the Exorcists all exclaimed.

"You have roughly two hours before everything is destroyed," Tyki said, casually taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke into the air. His gaze shifted to Toushirou. "And Lord Millennium wanted me to tell you that the 'Heart' has already been moved to the new Ark so your powers won't work."

"What is he talking about Toushirou?" Lenalee asked, posing the question that was on everyone's mind at this point. "What kind of powers?"

"I don't know what the hell this guy is talking about," Hitsugaya snarled, pulling Hyourinmaru from the sheath that he wore secured across his back. "But I guarantee that I'm going to finish our fight once and for all."

"Not something I would recommend," Tyki said, curious as to whether the boy really didn't know what he was talking about or if it was all just a ploy to throw him off. Either way it wouldn't matter in two hours. Once again reaching into his pocket Tyki pulled out a small key, holding it up so that the group of Exorcists could see it. "The only way out of here is through Road's door. Now it wouldn't be very much fun to just kill you so I've decided to give you a fair chance." Turning the Noah pointed toward a tower that was located at the top of a hill in the center of the town. "See that tower? Road's door will be located at the very top. If you can get there before the Ark is destroyed then you win and can keep your lives." A smirk spread across his face as he turned his attention to Allen. "And no cheating this time boy."

And, having laid out the rules of the game, Tyki absently tossed the key to Allen. The white haired youth caught it and then returned his glaring gaze to the Noah.

"Try not to make this boring," the Noah said, his voice calm as he walked away from the group.

Both Allen and Toushirou made a move to pursue the Noah but this was brought to a halt as he stepped through a nearby wall.

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya swore, sheathing Hyourinmaru and turning to the rest of the group. He really wanted to know what Tyki had been talking about when the Noah had said that his powers wouldn't work but there were more important things to focus on at the moment. "So what's the plan of action?"

"I guess we have no choice but to take Tyki at his word," Allen said, gazing down at the key that he held in his hand. He didn't like the thoughts of idly following the instructions of the Noah but at this point there didn't really seem to be much choice in the matter. "And hope that there really is a way out at the top of that tower."

"I swear I'm going to beat that smug look off his face," Hitsugaya growled before turning his attention back to their current dilemma. "Let's go. The sooner we get to the top of that tower, the sooner we can get the hell out of here."

"I can't help but think that this is all too easy," Krory said, his voice quivering slightly as he gazed around. The look in his eyes said as plain as words would have that he expected something to jump out at them at any given moment.

"I'm sure they'll have some surprises in store for us," Allen said, taking his place at the head of the group and leading the way.

"Don't get us lost now Allen," Lavi said, once again trying to lighten the mood by joking around.

"I think it's a little late for that," Allen commented drying. "Since none of us know where we are."

Lavi was completely unphased. "Okay, don't get us even more lost than we already are."

Hitsugaya shook his head, inwardly wondering how he'd managed to get trapped with these people. "When I get back to Soul Society I'm definitely going to complain about this mission," the young Shinigami/Exorcist muttered darkly to himself.

"What was that Toushirou?" Lavi queried, glancing at the white haired boy over his shoulder.

"Nothing," the boy said, before snapping, "And it's Hitsugaya to you!"

"Yea, yea," the red haired boy said, waving off the angry words as though they were nothing.

A/N - end of another chapter and they're trapped in the Ark! Oh no! This series of events is going to differ from the anime and manga slightly, due to my storyline. Hope that you enjoyed.


	25. Trapped Within the Ark

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM or Bleach.

Chapter Twenty-Five - Trapped Within the Ark

"Does anyone else think that something should have happened by now?" Lavi commented off handedly, his gaze idly shifting between each of the members of the group. They had been making their way through the white town for awhile now and yet nothing of interest had happened. And what with the Noah that was roaming around this seemed somewhat odd. Why exactly hadn't they made a move against them? What could they possibly be waiting for?

"It does seem kinda odd," Allen said, his gray eyed gaze glancing at their surroundings. He had expected that the Noah would act against them before now because he was convinced that they wouldn't be allowed to simply walk up to the tower without opposition. After all that would be a stupid move on the part of their enemies that the white haired youth was convinced they would never make. "I thought for certain that they would have tried something by now."

"Maybe they really will let us get to the tower," Krory said hopefully, although his voice showed that he didn't really believe the words that he was speaking.

"I doubt that very highly Krorykins," Lavi said, shaking his head. It wasn't as though he didn't want Krory's words to be true it was just that he was more of a realist. And that scenario just wasn't realistic. "Most likely they're just waiting for the opportune moment."

Following along at the tail end of the group Hitsugaya was only partially listening to this conversation. He was also of the mind that it was strange that they hadn't been attacked as of yet but this wasn't the most pressing thing on his mind. The teal eyed youth was still focused on the fact that he had managed to destroy the Akuma with powers that he didn't even know he possessed. Nor did he know how to consciously use them.

Not that using them was such a good idea since Allen was still angry at him over the last time that he had inadvertently used them. Of course Hitsugaya didn't really blame him; after all he'd destroyed the soul that was trapped inside the Akuma. Something that both of them had been striving to prevent.

"Unacceptable," he growled, clenching his hands into fists. While the boy was still determined to get to the bottom of what exactly was going on with him he was also determined not to lose control like that again.

Because the consequences could be disastrous.

"Are you alright back there chibi?" Lavi questioned, breaking into Hitsugaya's thoughts and causing him to glare in anger.

"DON'T call me that!" he snapped, his mind effectively removed from his rather angsty thoughts. He had noticed the fact that Lavi gave everyone an annoying nickname, with perhaps the exception of Lenalee, but he was determined that he wouldn't allow the red head to get away with calling him that.

"See?" Lavi said, acting as though nothing had happened. Compared to the outbursts that he so often heard from Kanda, Hitsugaya's reaction was mild. He didn't seem even remotely concerned by Hitsugaya's threatening attitude, smiling as he turned to Allen. "I told you guys that I could snap him out of it. You just have to know what you're doing is all."

Hitsugaya tilted his head slightly to the side, forgetting his anger for the moment as he was seized by confusion. "Snap me out of what?"

"I called out your name three times," Allen said, his voice containing only a trace of the anger from before. It seemed that he still hadn't completely forgiven Hitsugaya but he wasn't furious about it any longer either. "And you just stared into space like you hadn't heard a word I said."

"I'm sorry," Hitsugaya said, running a hand through his unruly white hair. This caused it to stand up even more than it normally did but the prodigy wasn't the least bit concerned about this fact. There were much more pressing things occupying his mind at the moment. "I didn't hear you." He was quiet for a minute before forcing his thoughts away from the fact that he felt as though he were steadily losing his mind. "So what was it that you wanted?"

"We were just going to ask if you thought it weird that no one has bothered us since Tyki left," Allen replied, his gray eyes boring into the smaller boy. There was something strange about his companion, aside from the obvious fact that he was a soul. He had an unusual power and that, coupled together with those occasions when Hitsugaya's eyes had changed colors, made Allen feel somewhat nervous.

"It does seem out of character for them," Hitsugaya said, thinking back to his previous encounters with the Noah. In his experience they weren't exactly a passive lot, which led him to believe that an attack was imminent. "But I'm sure that it's only a matter of time before one of them makes an appearance. After all it would be too simple for them to merely allow us to reach the tower. Unless of course he was lying about the exit."

"That's a possibility," Lavi commented but Allen shook his head. "I'm fairly certain that he was telling the truth. The Noah may be many things but they don't generally lie. Tyki said that there is a door at the top of the tower and I'm convinced that he was telling the truth."

"I think that you're right," Hitsugaya said, his voice quiet and a thoughtful expression on his face. "After all if he'd wanted to merely kill us then he would have made an attempt when he first appeared. I think that he wants to make a game out of this."

Allen nodded his head in agreement. "I think that you're right. But I'm not going to play along with this stupid game. We're going to make it to the top of that tower and we're going to get out of here."

This said Allen quickly began walking down one of the paths. He traveled a few feet before he noticed the fact that the others weren't following him. Turning his head the white haired teen gazed at them questioningly.

"Um Allen," Lenalee said, sounding as though she hated to say the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "We've already been that way."

A slight blush rose to color his face as Allen mentally bemoaned the fact that all of these paths looked the same. And of course his lousy sense of direction didn't help matters any. "Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Walking back over to the group Allen chose another direction and this time the entire group followed along behind him. The group traveled in silence for awhile, each seeming to dwell on their own thoughts.

"Do you think Tyki knew that Allen had a really bad sense of direction when he chose this game?" Lavi questioned after awhile, breaking the silence.

Allen turned to glare angrily at Lavi. "Fine. If you aren't happy with the way that I'm leading then maybe it's your turn."

"Alright bean sprout," Lavi said, the smile still resolutely on his face. Walking to the head of the group the junior bookman gazed around for a minute before choosing a direction and beginning to walk.

With Lavi at the head of the group it wasn't long before they made it to the tower that was located at the highest point of the Ark. The red head didn't verbally comment on the fact that he'd managed to lead them to the entrance of the tower but the smug look on his face said it all, just as plain as words would have.

It was a look that Allen pointedly ignored as he once again assumed the role of group leader. Opening the door the Exorcists entered the tower, their guards heightened now that they were in the building where they suspected at least one Noah was lurking.

And more than likely there would be more than one since they rarely traveled alone.

"Everyone keep an eye out for anything strange," Allen said as they stepped inside.

"This whole situation is out of the ordinary," Hitsugaya commented dryly, once again finding himself at the back of the pack. "And I'm fairly certain that things are only going to get worse from this point on."

"You're both such happy little rays of sunshine," Lavi quipped, hoping to lighten the mood. The junior bookman realized that the situation was serious but it was simply in his nature to joke around, even at times such as this.

"And you're going to be one dead rabbit if you don't shut up," Hitsugaya stated, his tone calm and his expression serious.

"Man," Lavi said, his one visible green eye focused on the white haired boy. "You've been spending too much time with Yuu. He's rubbed off on you."

"That's not true," Allen said, a slight smirk appearing on his face. "He was like that before he met Kanda."

Lavi seemed vaguely surprised. "You mean to say that the universe created TWO of them?"

"I'm definitely going to kill him later," Hitsugaya muttered under his breath, adding the red head to the list of people who were going to suffer once this mission was complete. As it was it was a very long list but of course the white haired captain was willing to put in the time and effort to cross off each and every name.

Starting with General Cross and working his way down from there.

"Look at that evil gleam in his eyes," Lavi said, pointing at Hitsugaya and making it a point to maintain his distance. "Whose murder are you planning?"

"Yours among others," Hitsugaya replied without even a moment's hesitation.

Lavi shuddered, taking a step back away from the smaller male. "You shouldn't even joke about something like that."

"Who says that I'm joking?" Hitsugaya asked in the same serious tone.

Lavi took a few more steps away from Hitsugaya, coming to a stop only when his back touched the wall.

"Scared of your own teammates… that's pretty pathetic."

"Pathetic, hee hee!"

The group of Exorcists gazed around as they heard these voices but there wasn't any signs of anyone nearby. They seemed to be alone in the corridor and yet the fact remained that someone had been speaking to them.

"You should be scared of us and not people on your side," the voice taunted from somewhere out of sight.

"I refuse to be scared of someone who won't even show their face!" Allen exclaimed, gazing about angrily.

"You'll see that soon enough," the voice stated. "Just follow the corridor."

Curses were muttered throughout the group but ultimately they knew that they didn't have a choice. This was the only available path so they had to take it if they were to have any hope of reaching the top of the tower before the Ark was completely destroyed.

"Let's go," Hitsugaya said, the first to speak as well as the first to move forward. A couple of moments passed and then the others followed suit.

A/N - Another chapter over and done with and the group has made it to the tower. Hope that you enjoyed!


	26. Mind Games

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM or Bleach, just borrowing the characters for my own amusement. And hopefully for yours as well.

Chapter Twenty-Six - Mind Games

"I can't help but think that we're playing right into their hands," Lavi commented as the group made their way down the corridor. His one visible green eye scanned their surroundings warily, as though waiting for a wall to move and someone to jump out at them. He fully realized that he didn't have even the slightest measure of control over this situation and it was obvious that the Junior Bookman didn't like this fact at all.

"It's not as though we had much of a choice," Allen retorted from his position at the front of the group. He wasn't really any happier about their current situation than Lavi but there wasn't anything that could be done about it. "This is the only way that we could go… so trap or not we have to take this path. At least if we want to make it out of here in one piece."

"That's assuming that guy in the glasses was even telling the truth about the door," Krory said, a slight tremor plainly evident in his voice.

"I don't really think that he had any reason to lie to us," Allen pointed out. "It's not like he's gaining anything by letting us fight our way to the tower only to kill us there. It's just putting off the inevitable or at least that's the way they'll more than likely see it."

"I think you're wrong there bean sprout," Lavi said wryly, reaching up and rubbing at the back of his head. "They're getting to watch us suffer, which is probably a huge gain in their eyes."

"Either way that doesn't change anything," Hitsugaya pointed out, a strange edge to his voice that hadn't been there before. Being inside the tower seemed to have changed his demeanor and his strides were quick and purposeful now.

"Wow," Lavi breathed, his gaze now focused on the smaller of the two white haired leaders. He tilted his head to one side quizzically. "What's gotten into you chibi?"

"I've asked you not to call me that," Hitsugaya stated, slight irritation showing in his voice although he didn't snap at the Bookman in training as he would have done before.

"Now I know there's something wrong," Lavi stated with certainty. But before he got the chance to further elaborate on this fact the group heard a strange sound coming down the corridor toward them. All eyes focused to the end of the long hallway and they watched as several bottles rolled toward them.

"What in the world is that?" Lenalee questioned, her violet eyes focused on the bottles as they came to a stop at Allen's feet.

The white haired youth gazed down at them, taking a look so that he could hopefully answer Lenalee's question, and froze. His face took on a rather pallid look as he realized that they were liquor bottles… and not just any liquor bottles. "They're all of master's favorite brands," he muttered, more to himself than to his companions.

"Hee, hee!"

The sound of this rather demented laughter served to gain the attention of the group. They all scanned their surroundings for any signs of the owner of the voice but of course there weren't any. All any of them could see was the corridor stretched out before them.

"There is a bomb hidden within one of the bottles," a second voice announced, sounding very much amused by the situation. As well as slightly annoyed, which was a rather odd combination. "You only have sixty seconds to figure out which one it is."

"Sixty seconds hee, hee!"

"How are we supposed to know which of the bottles contains the bomb?" Lenalee said, her voice filled with worry as her gaze once again surveyed the large quantity of bottles that were on the ground at there feet. There were so many of them that it was bound to take longer than minute to check all of them, even if their entire group made an attempt.

"We look for it of course," Lavi said, picking up a bottle and finding it empty.

Lenalee nodded and the others quickly followed Lavi's lead. It may be a long shot but they definitely weren't going to succeed if they didn't even give it a try. Leaning forward they each grabbed a bottle, but none of them were the correct one.

And Allen merely stood there, the same rather traumatized expression on his face.

"Hey bean sprout," Lavi said as he picked up another bottle for examination. "Aren't you even going to help us?"

"These are all the brands of liquor that master liked to drink," Allen said, his voice sounding resolutely hollow. "And he would always send me out to get…" Reaching forward he expertly picked out the most expensive brand from all of the bottles that were assembled on the floor. "this one. I had to beg and plead in order to get the clerks to sell it to me but after awhile I would succeed. Because I had to succeed."

Lavi's single green eye went to the bottle that Allen was holding in his hand, noticing the timer on the device that was contained within. The white haired teen had actually found the right one. Unfortunately now he was just standing there holding it, apparently caught up in remembering the days that he had spent with General Cross.

"Don't just stand there Allen!" Lavi exclaimed, his eye widening in horror as the seconds ticked down. "Get rid of it."

Seemingly snapping out of his daze Allen realized what he was holding and just how little time he had to get rid of it. Eyes widening in horror he gave it a toss the only way he could think of, down the corridor. Seconds passed and then an explosion shook the building… and the sounds of screaming echoed through the corridor.

"That was a bit to close for comfort," Lavi commented, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Come on," Hitsugaya said, seemingly oblivious to how close they had just came to being blown up. Taking the lead he strode down the corridor, intent upon finding the exit to this accursed place.

"Maybe it's different if you're already dead," Lavi thought to himself, shaking his head as he and the others fell into step behind the Shinigami Exorcist. That was the only way that he could explain Hitsugaya's complete lack of a reaction to the fact that they were nearly blown to bits.

They trekked along for about fifteen minutes without interruption before the next trap was sprung. A wall suddenly appeared behind them, followed immediately thereafter by a wall in front of them. "Now you're trapped," the voice from before called out.

"Trapped, hee, hee!"

Suddenly a bunch of western style playing cards fluttered to the floor, completely confusing everyone. At the sound time a creaking overhead signaled the fact that the ceiling was actually collapsing down upon them. "The only way to stop the ceiling and keep from being crushed is to produce the poker hands that I call out to you."

A gleam appeared in Allen's eyes as he heard this pronouncement and he knelt in the floor in front of the pile of cards, many of which were actually upside down. "This will be easy," he said, his voice containing an air of confidence.

Within the span of about thirty seconds Allen had produced every poker hand that had been called out to him. Much to the shock and amazement of both his comrades and the unknown enemies who seemed to be playing these twisted games with them.

"Very good," the voice called out, sounding more irritated than amused at this point. "But I think we'll drop the ceiling on you anyway."

At this point the ceiling's slow descent sped up rather rapidly, the huge slab of concrete slamming down upon them. Reaching up Allen managed to stop it's descent with the claws of his left hand while Lavi used his hammer to break through the wall that was in front of them. Without a second to spare they gained their freedom. A cloud of dust rose up where they had been mere seconds before.

"That was too close," Krory muttered, his eyes wide and beads of sweat dotting his face.

"Show yourselves!" Allen demanded, beginning to grow annoyed with all of these mind games.

"In time Exorcist," the voice replied, paying no heed to Allen's angry tone. "Continue on."

None of them were happy with this order but all of them realized that they had no choice in the matter. The path behind them was blocked so they couldn't go back even if there had been any hope of finding a way out that way. The only way to go was forward.

"Just keep moving forward…"

Both Allen and Hitsugaya turned to stare at one another as they uttered the same phrase under their breaths.

"Come on," Hitsugaya said after a moment, feeling decidedly uncomfortable under Allen's scrutinizing glare. "Let's get a move on. We're not accomplishing anything by just standing here."

Allen was still beyond confused as to how Hitsugaya had been familiar with the phrase that Mana had repeated to him many times in the past. In all of his travels he'd never heard another person use it, until now. And he couldn't keep himself from wondering if there might not be some kind of connection between the two.

Not that there was really time to dwell on this fact as the corridor opened up into a large room. The group of Exorcists cautiously stepped inside, wondering as they did so exactly what new obstacle would be placed in their path. Or if perhaps they were about to finally come upon the owners of the voices that had been taunting them this entire time.

"What in the…" Lenalee's voice trailed off as she gazed around this rather oddly furnished room. It was bare except for a keyboard that was positioned in the center.

"What are we supposed to do with that?" Krory questioned as they all gazed at the keyboard.

"A series of notes will sound," the voice called out in answer to the question. "And must be repeated in order or else the whole room goes boom."

"Boom hee hee! And after that no more Exorcists!"

Allen turned to the others of the group, a frown upon his face. "I don't think I'll be very much use in this situation. By any chance can any of you…"

He didn't have time to complete this question however as a sequence of notes echoed throughout the room. Panicked expressions appeared on all of their faces, all that is except for one. Seemingly lost in his own world Hitsugaya made his way over to the keyboard, placing his hands upon the keys and playing back the notes.

The sequence was correct but as the so called game continued the combinations became far more difficult. And yet the white haired boy effortlessly repeated each and every one of them.

"Damn Exorcists!" the two voices screamed out in unison as a door appeared at the far end of the room.

"I didn't know that you could play the piano Toushirou," Allen commented as they made their way toward the door.

"What are you talking about?" Hitsugaya questioned, turning to Allen with a slightly confused look in his eyes.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.


	27. The Twins

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach or DGM.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - The Twins

"You were just playing the piano," Allen explained, gazing at Hitsugaya through confused gray eyes. It seemed rather weird to him that the smaller youth seemed so confused about this fact. After all he'd walked over to the piano and copied the notes as though it had been second nature to him. And it had been obvious that this wasn't the first time that he had played... or if it had been then he was a musical prodigy. "Very well, I might add."

Hitsugaya didn't dispute this fact but merely shrugged his shoulders. The look of confusion was still present in his teal eyes as he gazed at Allen for a moment. It was obvious by his behavior that he still didn't remember anything about the incident.

Which meant that he couldn't offer an explanation for it.

Allen was admittedly a little surprised that Hitsugaya had been able to play the piano so flawlessly and yet didn't seem to remember anything about it. He had been behind the smaller boy and thus hadn't been able to observe whether or not he went through any physical changes. And yet he couldn't get the incident when they had been fighting Tyki and Road out of his mind.

There was definitely something odd about his companion and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was deceased. Because Allen himself was merely a soul inhabiting an artificial body and he was fairly sure that whatever was up with Hitsugaya had nothing to do with his status as a soul.

"It's something else," he thought to himself, touching his chin with the tip of one gloved finger. "I just can't quite put my finger on what it is."

"I can't believe you survived all of our traps," a by now familiar voice called out. "You weren't supposed to survive."

"You were supposed to die, hee hee!"

"It's a little late for you to be telling me to do that," Hitsugaya growled as he and his companions entered the large room at the end of the corridor. Gazing around it wasn't long before his searching gaze focused on two figures, standing at the far end of the room. One was a black haired boy, appearing to be in his late teens, with dark eyeliner encircling his eyes. The other was a blond boy, appearing around the same age, who appeared to have had his mouth stitched closed.

Under normal circumstances at least part of the group would have found this sight amusing however even Lavi didn't make a joke as they assembled across from the duo. For a few minutes no one spoke as each group attempted to stare down the other.

"You're all crazy," the black haired boy commented as he surveyed the group that had entered the room. It was obvious, from the expression on his face, that he didn't think much of them.

"Crazy, hee hee!" the blond added, grinning like an idiot despite the fact that his mouth was sewn together.

"Like either of you have any room to talk," Allen quipped, thinking back to the mind games that this duo had used in an attempt to destroy them before they reached the room at the end of the corridor. "You couldn't just challenge us directly but instead had to play those silly games first."

"Those weren't silly games," the black haired youth stated calmly, his eyes seemingly focused on Allen and Hitsugaya. "They had a purpose."

"Who the hell are you?" Hitsugaya growled, his teal eyes narrowed and his hand going to the hilt of Hyourinmaru. He was beyond irritated by those stupid games and wanted to put an end to this as soon as possible. Mainly because it was an unwanted distraction to his mission.

"Debitto," the black haired boy said.

"Jasdero," the blond haired boy added before their voices blended into one. "And together we're Jasdevi!"

"And they think we're the crazy ones," Lavi commented dryly, his one visible green eye alert and his hand hovering above his hammer. Poised to draw the weapon the moment that it was required.

"I don't give a damn what they think," Hitsugaya growled as he drew his zanpaktou.

Both Debitto and Jasdero focused their attention on the smaller of the two white haired youths, their eyes narrowing. "You…" they snarled in unison.

"Is it just me or do they seem like they're familiar with chibi?" Lavi questioned, ever the observant one owing to his training as a future Bookman.

"DON'T call me that!" Hitsugaya snapped, before abruptly turning his attention back to the two youths.

"We'll deal with you soon enough," Debitto said, his attention shifting from one white haired boy to the other. "But first I have a bone to pick with you… or to be more precise your master."

Allen's face visibly paled at the mention of General Cross. It was true that their mission was to track down the red head and protect him but that didn't mean that Allen wanted to see him. Or hear about him for that matter. "What does Master Cross have to do with anything?"

A menacing light seemed to appear in the eyes of both Debitto and Jasdero as Allen posed this question. "We were told to kill him…" Debitto said, his eyes taking on a strange look as he recalled the target that Lord Millennium had assigned to them. "But every time we got close we just ended up having to pay his bills!"

This last part was issued in a scream and Debitto grabbed at his spiked hair, hating the memories.

The look that appeared in Allen's eyes was far from sympathetic. In fact his gray orbs seemed to glow with a malevolent light, at the same time that a dark aura seemed to grow to surround him. He laughed, though it was completely without humor. "You haven't even seen debt."

"Is this really happening?" Hitsugaya questioned as Allen and the twins spent the next several minutes comparing the long list of debts that they had been forced to repay by General Cross. To the best of his knowledge this was the strangest thing that he had ever witnessed.

Lavi's expression was keen as he watched the scene that was unfolded a few feet away. "It is," he said, not wholly surprised. He knew that Allen had been traumatized by his time with the general and this was merely one of the ways that it chose to manifest its self.

"Was his time with this Cross guy really that bad?" Hitsugaya asked as he listened to the three raised voices. Allen was now angrily explaining why it wasn't HIS responsibility to pay the bills that Cross had left Debitto and Jasdero stuck with.

Lavi nodded. "I think it was. Allen's as easy going as they come but he undergoes a strange transformation whenever there's even the mention or Cross… or the word debt."

Hitsugaya turned his attention back to the group but it wasn't long before his patience with the situation was exhausted. After all he hadn't had a great deal to begin with. Holding the blade of Hyourinmaru out in front of him the white haired boy stepped forward.

"Enough of this," he stated, his words meant as much for Allen as for the two youths that he was facing. "I don't give a damn how much debt ANY of you had to pay… all I care about is reaching the top of this damn tower. Therefore you have two choices; let us pass and live or delay our progress and die."

Debitto turned his attention toward the boy who was holding a sword pointed in their direction. He briefly wondered what was up with the weapon but quickly shrugged off this train of thought as irrelevant. He honestly didn't care why he had felt the need to bring along a sword. He arched one brow as he stared at Hitsugaya. "As arrogant as ever I see."

Hitsugaya arched a brow, some of his anger dissipating as he heard this statement. Quite the opposite affect that one would expect, since the words spoken had been meant as an insult, but the confusion that it elicited served to hold the anger at bay. "What are you talking about?"

Now it was Debitto's turn to be surprised. "You're kidding right?"

"Kidding, hee hee!"

"No," Hitsugaya deadpanned, one eyebrow arched as he stared at the two of them.

"So Tyki was right," Debitto mused, shaking his head. "He really doesn't remember… not that it matters."

"Cause he's gonna die, hee hee!" Jasdero added, a look of glee appearing on his face as he waved a pistol in the air.

"We've been through this already," Hitsugaya said, holding out his blade and ignoring the music notes that were etched on the gleaming blade. "But your right in one regard, it really doesn't matter."

"Seems like something is going on between the four of them," Krory commented, his gaze focused on Allen, Hitsugaya and the twins.

"Seems that way," Lavi said, a calculating look in his green eye. He had been taking in both conversations; first the one between Allen and the twins and then the one between Hitsugaya and the twins. And trying to make sense out of everything that he had heard.

"So you wanna fight huh?" Debitto said, holding up a pistol that was identical to Jasdero.

"No," Hitsugaya said, his voice low and deadly as he gazed at the two of them. His eyes flashed golden as the stared at the twins, practically radiating a dark aura. "I want to destroy you."

A/N - End of another chapter and the fight is about to be on. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	28. Bonds

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM or Bleach.

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Bonds

Both Debitto and Jasdero did a double take as the boy snarled these words, his eyes flashing golden and his voice turning even more menacing than it had been even seconds earlier. In that moment he sounded so bloodthirsty and, despite being aware of his history, they were slightly taken aback. They were shocked, to say the least, but managed to recover from this shock within a few seconds.

"Such a dark aura," Debitto commented, attempting to sound casual as he held up a golden pistol. He waved the firearm in the air, his gaze focused squarely on Hitsugaya. The light shining in his eyes was a familiar one and one that he would have respected were the circumstances different. "And eyes filled with murderous intent. Seems the traitor is really determined to kill us huh?"

"Traitor, hee hee!" Jasdero waved an identical pistol in a similar manner as Debitto, his eyes also locked onto Hitsugaya.

For his part the young Shinigami/Exorcist had absolutely no idea why the two of them were calling him a traitor but then again he couldn't really bring himself to care. When this battle was over nothing that they had said would matter so there was no point in obsessing about it now. Plus there was always the chance that they were just saying random things in an effort to rattle him and cause his concentration to falter. Something that he was far too experienced to allow to happen. Holding up Hyourinmaru, with the tip pointing toward his enemies, the boy prepared for the battle that was about to begin. These two unlucky souls were standing between him and his destination and for that they would both suffer greatly.

Of that he vowed.

"You really think that you can win against both of us boy?" Debitto asked, aiming his pistol at Hitsugaya as the boy tensed in preparation for his attack.

"Without a doubt." After speaking these words, his voice calm despite the impending battle, Hitsugaya launched himself forward. Gripping the blade of his sword the white haired youth swung the blade in the direction of his closest opponent.

Pulling back on the trigger of the pistol Debitto sneered, "I don't care how powerful you once were, you're no match for the Noah of Bonds!"

"No match, hee hee!"

Allen and the others watched as Hitsugaya engaged the two members of the Clan of Noah in battle and there was concern shining in the white haired youth's eyes. Despite his earlier irritation with his companion Allen didn't want anything to happen to the smaller boy… and he wasn't entirely sure that Hitsugaya could hold his own against two of the Noah at once. It was true that he was strong but was he really that strong?

"So do you think that we should help chibi out with that moyashi-chan?" Lavi questioned, his green eye darting back and forth between the battle that had just begun and the other members of his group. His hand twitched over his weapon but this was the only indication he gave of his anxiousness to join in the fight with the Noah.

After a brief moment of thought Allen nodded his head in the affirmative. He was fairly certain that Hitsugaya wouldn't welcome their help, since he seemed to have some kind of grudge against the two of them, but that didn't sway his resolve to help. Because he didn't want to see anything happen to the stubborn youth. "I think we should definitely help."

"Right then." Reaching down, without so much as taking his eye off the battle, Lavi gripped the handle of his weapon. Pulling his hammer from the holster that he wore secured at his thigh the red head held it up, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Stay out of this," Hitsugaya snapped in an irritated tone of voice, not turning his attention away from his opponents even as he spoke these words. He hadn't once looked away and yet he still seemed to know exactly what was going on behind him… and didn't seem happy about his teammates' decision to get involved. "I'm more than capable of handling this on my own."

"So you keep saying chibi," Lavi said in a light and somewhat joking tone, gripping his hammer tightly. "But we just wanna make sure that you aren't overestimating your powers or anything like that. Because despite your constantly sour mood we really would like to keep you around for awhile. Eh chibi?"

"If you don't stop calling me that you're going to be next," Hitsugaya growled, deciding to just let the fools do whatever they wanted. If they were determined to fight then there wasn't really much that he could do to stop them. But they'd better not get in his way or there would be hell to pay.

He would see to that personally.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Lavi commented dryly before shifting his gaze elsewhere. He sounded less than concerned and it was obvious that he didn't feel overly threatened by Hitsugaya's words. "Big hammer, little hammer grow, Grow, GROW!" The weapon that he held in his hands instantly obeyed his command, growing to several times it's regular size. And yet despite this fact Lavi was able to wield it effortlessly. Rushing forward he swung the hammer in the direction of the blond Noah.

Who quickly jumped out of the way, screaming, "No fair, no fair hee!"

Activating his own Innocence in a swirl of white Allen leapt forward, coming to stand a few feet away from Hitsugaya. His gray eyes briefly fell upon his companion and, much to his surprise, he saw that the smaller boy's eyes had once again turned golden. And there could be no denying that fact this time… no playing it off as a trick of the lighting. And the stranger thing was the malevolent light that seemed to shine within them.

Hitsugaya was out for blood.

Debitto smirked as Allen came to stand beside Hitsugaya, rather enjoying the thoughts of getting rid of both of them at the same time. Since the Ark was self destructing it was a given that they would die but it would be nice to deliver the news to the Earl that they had killed them personally. "Lord Millennium will be pleased when we bring him news of both of your deaths…"

"I hate to break it to you but that isn't going to happen," Hitsugaya said, his voice calm and sounding completely detached from the current situation. Emotionless. "The only thing that fat bastard is going to hear about is your death."

Both of the Noah boys gasped as they heard these words but neither was given a chance to dwell on it. Swinging his sword in an arc over his head Hitsugaya called out, "Reign over the frosted, frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!"

As though in answer to this command a huge dragon comprised of ice and water erupted from the tip of the boy's sword. It circled around Hitsugaya's head for a moment before gracefully flying toward Debitto and Jasdero.

"What the hell is that?" Debitto exclaimed, his eyes widening at the same time that he pointed his pistol toward the dragon and fired. He was more than a little shocked by this attack, as was evident by the expression on his face and the fact that he had fired his weapon.

"What the hell?" Jasdero added, mirroring his twin's action with his own pistol. The two bullets flew through the air, seemingly surrounded by a red aura, before colliding with the dragon. There was a bright flash of light and the attack turned to water before falling harmlessly in a mist around them.

"Damn," Hitsugaya snarled, not having expected this development. He was more than a little irritated by the counterattack by had to admit, however grudgingly, that it had been a good move. And highly effective. It seemed that they had a rather effective counter to his attack but this only served to increase his determination to defeat them.

By whatever means necessary.

Holding up his clawed left hand Allen deemed this as the perfect time to interfere in the battle. He had held back until now but it seemed that the twins were growing increasingly more irritated the more time that passed, which meant that it would be in their best interests to bring the fight to an end. Rushing forward he swung in the direction of the blond haired Noah, his claws coming within mere inches of Jasdero's chest. The Noah just barely managed to leap out of the way.

"Cheap shot, hee hee!" The slightly insane looking smile remained on the blond Noah's face despite the close call. In fact it didn't appear that he was capable of any other expression… at least not that they had seen thus far.

It was always that idiotic smile.

Glancing over at his twin Debitto said, "I think it's time that we increase the odds in our favor."

A grin spread across Jasdero's face, looking odd owing to the fact that his lips were stitched together. "Hee, hee!"

This said the twins abruptly pointed their guns toward one another, pulling the triggers simultaneously and before any of the Exorcists had the opportunity to react.

A/N- End of another chapter and the battle with the twins has begun. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one.


	29. Sacrifice

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach or DGM

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Sacrifice

"Does anyone know exactly what just happened?" Allen questioned as the sound of two gunshots rang out, at the same moment that the two Noah were surrounded by a cloud of smoke.

"Maybe they knew they were out numbered," Krory said, looking relieved.

"I don't think that's it, Krory-kins," Lavi commented, his keen eye focused on the spot where the Noah were still obscured by smoke. Despite the fact that they had fired at each other at point blank range neither body had fallen to the ground. He didn't need to be able to see them to know that this was the case.

Still holding his sword at the ready Hitsugaya took a couple of cautious steps toward them. His eyes remained golden and a cold and calculating light shone within them. "I know what you're trying," he snarled, in a voice that was wholly unlike his own. "But it isn't going to work."

Leaping forward Hitsugaya raised his blade, slashing through the smoke and attacking. The others watched as the smoke dissipated to reveal not two but one single Noah. Long blond and black hair framed his face as he gazed at the assembled Exorcists. Hitsugaya's blade was deflected and the youth snarled in annoyance.

"Jasdero and Debitto combined make Jasdevi!"

"They can combine into one person?" Lenalee questioned as she gazed at the spot where two separate people had once stood. At least she thought that they were two separate people.

"The two Noah who were once one," Hitsugaya muttered before seemingly snapping back to reality. Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly he once again rushed forward, not even the least bit concerned about this transformation of theirs. A smirk appeared on his face as he advanced on them quickly.

They were going to die.

Whether that was as one person or two didn't really matter much to the white haired youth. A dark aura seemed to surround Hitsugaya as his attack was deflected by the Noah. He growled in anger as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Is it just me or is there something… dark about him now?" Lavi questioned as he and the others watched Hitsugaya's interactions with Jasdevi.

Allen nodded, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "Something about them seems to be setting him off…"

"I don't think he should fight them any longer," Krory commented, a concerned expression on his face as his gaze shifted back and forth between Hitsugaya and the other members of their group. Suddenly he activated his Innocence, his fangs growing into points as his bangs rose to stand straight up on his head. "I'll deal with this… you guys take him and get out of here."

"But Krory I don't…" Lenalee began but the vampire like Exorcist held up his hand to stop her. "I want to do this Lenalee… I want to do my part to help my friends."

Lenalee still looked doubtful but Allen nodded his head in understanding. He knew why Krory had made this decision and realized that they had to let him go through with it. "I understand Krory… catch up to us once you've finished here."

Krory nodded and rushed forward, using his superior speed to catch Jasdevi off guard. The Noah shrieked as their bodies collided and for a moment all Hitsugaya could do was stare. He hadn't expected for anyone to interfere and almost looked annoyed by it. But not half as annoyed as he became when Allen and Lavi suddenly seized him from behind.

"Come on Chibi," Lavi said as he and Allen pulled him away from the fight, despite the fact that he was struggling like a mad man. His golden eyes glowed malevolently as he fought against their hold on him. "Release me," he snarled, his voice still sounding as though it belonged to someone else.

"I'm afraid that we can't do that," Allen said as he and Lavi pulled the smaller white haired boy toward the exit, followed closely behind by Lenalee. Despite the fact that he was struggling against him like someone possessed, they managed to remove Hitsugaya from the twins' lair while Krory held off the newly combined Noah of Bonds. "Something's up with you and I don't like it. Krory can handle this so deal with it."

Allen's voice held a sharpness that was uncharacteristic for the normally soft spoken teen and it served to fully capture Hitsugaya's attention. And as he gazed over at the other white haired youth his eyes slowly changed from golden back to their customary teal. The only remnant of their former color being a golden rim that remained around his pupils. "What… just happened?" he asked, sounding slightly confused.

"You went all badass and tried to kill two of the Noah," Lavi deadpanned, gazing at Hitsugaya. "Are you seriously going to try and tell me that you don't remember doing it?"

The look of confusion that was clearly etched on his face was enough of an answer to that question. It was something that couldn't be faked and the Junior Bookman gazed at the Shinigami/Exorcist for a moment, the wheels in his mind turning. He had a couple of theories on the situation but wasn't ready to lend voice to any of them at this particular moment in time.

"You can let go of me now," Hitsugaya muttered, breaking the silence that had descended upon the group.

Lavi and Allen both seemed to debate this for a moment before simultaneously releasing their grips on his arms. Straightening out his uniform Hitsugaya's gaze shifted to each member of the group in turn. And he surmised, by the absence of one of them, what had transpired though he couldn't actually remember it. "Are you sure it was a good idea to leave Krory alone with the two of them?"

"One actually," Lavi said quietly, recalling the strange transformation that the two Noah had undergone. "And Krory-kins may not look like much but he can hold his own… don't worry about him."

"If you say so," Hitsugaya said, sheathing his Zanpaktou as he gazed down the corridor. "So I take it that we're continuing on with this little journey of ours?"

Allen nodded his head in the affirmative. "It's not as though we have much of a choice. According to Tyki we have to reach the top of this tower before the Ark completely disintegrates if we want to save ourselves."

"If he was telling the truth," Lavi stated matter of factly.

"Well the only way to find out is to get to the top of the tower," Allen said, his gaze focused squarely ahead. "It's not as though we have very many options at this point."

"Point taken Moyashi-chan," Lavi said, an easy going smile appearing on his face as he casually placed his hands behind his head. "Guess we should press onward then."

"It's Allen," the boy corrected, narrowing his eyes slightly at the red head's use of the nickname that he strongly disliked. It had first been given to him by Kanda, which was bad enough. "Do I honestly have to spell it out for you? A-L-L-E-N."

"Alright guys," Lenalee said, placing a hand in the center of each of their backs and pushing them forward. "Let's move on."

Hitsugaya nodded and began walking forward, the others falling into step behind him. As he watched the smaller male Allen's thoughts shifted back to his encounter with the Noah of Bonds. It was almost as though a dark aura had surrounded the Shinigami/Exorcist as he had faced them and Allen was beyond curious about what had happened to him at this point. "There's something strange going on with him," Allen mused to himself as he walked along behind Hitsugaya. Even stranger than the fact that he was actually a soul inhabiting a faux body. That had blown Allen's mind when he had first found out but paled in comparison to what seemed to be going on with him currently.

"Allen," Lenalee said quietly, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Turning to gaze at her over his shoulder Allen offered the girl a small smile. "What is it Lenalee?"

"Are you alright?" she questioned, seeming concerned about him. There was a somewhat sad expression in her violet eyes. "You seem distracted."

"It's nothing," Allen assured her, the smile still on his face. "It's nothing Lenalee… I was just thinking."

Lenalee didn't look one hundred percent convinced by his words and the fake smile that he wore but she let the matter drop non the less. She could tell that what had happened with Hitsugaya was weighing heavily on his mind and didn't want to press the issue. Sometimes it was just better to let the white haired teen muse when he was in moods like this.

"Come on guys," Lavi called out, noticing that Allen and Lenalee had fallen behind. "You'll have plenty of time to get up close and personal after we get out of this."

Both Allen and Lenalee blushed as they turned to scowl at Lavi. "We're coming."

A/N - End of anther chapter, hope that you enjoyed it. Please be kind enough to leave a review and share your thoughts with me.


	30. Wrath

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM nor Bleach

Chapter Thirty - Wrath

Looking rather abashed Allen and Lenalee hurried to catch up to Lavi and Hitsugaya, who had managed to put some distance between them. It appeared that Hitsugaya was on a mission, pressing ahead and leading the group down a corridor, away from the room where the sounds of fighting could still be heard. Lenalee glanced back, a concerned look in her violet eyes, but didn't say anything as the group pressed onward. She knew that Krory could take care of himself but that didn't stop her from worrying about him; he was, after all, a member of her family.

"Do you even know where it is that we're going Chibi?" Lavi quipped as he followed the white haired boy down the corridor, his hands behind his head in a casual manner. Despite the fact that the sounds of the Ark crumbling around could be heard he appeared calm and collected. A testament to his training as a Bookman.

"It's Hitsugaya," the youth snapped, not even bothering to turn and offer the red head a glare. "And we're going to the top of this damn tower… that's where we're going."

"Alright, alright," Lavi said, attempting to defuse the situation before he ended up on the receiving end of the boy's blade. "I was just asking, you don't have to be so grouchy." Of course the question of whether or not the boy knew how to get to the top of the tower came to mind but the Junior Bookman had the sense not to give voice to it. He had learned that particular lesson already and had no desire to see Hitsugaya's dark side emerge once more.

Allen took note of the fact that the smaller white haired male seemed even more irritable than normal, a feat in and of its self, and had several thoughts about why exactly this was. Most of which centered around that rather strange moment between him and the twins earlier. The look in his eyes had been so dark and cold and there could be no doubt that Hitsugaya had fully intended to kill the pair of them. And, from the look of things, their deaths would have been slow and painful.

"Oi Moyashi!" Lavi exclaimed, breaking into Allen's thoughts.

"What?" Allen snapped, too distracted by his train of thought, which Lavi had just effectively derailed, to even notice that he'd actually answered to the much loathed nickname.

Lavi, on the other hand, noticed. "Wow… things are getting really bad if he's actually answering to Moyashi… I think we should all be concerned."

"I'm deeply concerned," Hitsugaya deadpanned, gazing at them over his shoulder as he paused. "For the sanity of this entire group."

"Ouch Chibi," Lavi said, placing his hand over his heart. "That was harsh… and completely uncalled for."

"You'll get over it," Hitsugaya tossed back, not even the hint of remorse in his voice. His gaze shifted back to the front as he continued on his way, somehow sure that he was going in the right direction, as strange as that sounded. He was getting the strangest sense of déjà vu from the scenery but didn't comment on this fact to any of the others lest they begin to question his sanity in much the same manner that he was now questioning theirs. "Or die with it one."

Despite his concern over their current predicament Allen actually twitched a smile as he listened to the two of them argue back and forth. He had to admit that it was actually amusing when Lavi was picking on someone else for a change.

"What are you laughing at?" both Lavi and Hitsugaya snapped, turning to glare at Allen simultaneously. Covering her mouth with one hand Lenalee couldn't help but laugh at the comical expressions on each of their faces, forgetting for the moment that they were in a race against time where their lives were at stack. Or at least hers, Lavi's and Krory's… for Allen and Hitsugaya the stakes were a little higher. If they didn't manage to escape this place before it was destroyed they would lose their very souls.

"Oh nothing," Allen said, holding up his hands in a placating manner. "Don't mind me… just go on about your business and pretend I'm not here."

* * *

Having traveled some distance down the corridor, the sounds of the battle between the twins and Krory no longer audible, the group came upon another door. Reaching it they paused, each gazing around at the others in the group before their gazes shifted back to the door. There was no way to know what was located on the other side but the only way to find out was to open the door and step through the threshold.

Reaching out Hitsugaya grasped the door handle and pulled it open. "Let's just get this over with."

"After you Chibi," Lavi said, gesturing toward the open door with a flourish. Rolling his eyes the white haired boy stepped inside the room, followed closely behind by the other three members of his group. At first the room appeared to be empty and… oddly decorated. "Well this is weird," the red head commented as he gazed around.

"I don't think this is the room that we're looking for," Allen said as he too gazed around the room.

"We're not alone," Hitsugaya muttered, his gaze focused on a spot across the room. He continued to glare at seemingly nothing for a few moments, making the others think that he had completely lost his mind, before his eyes narrowed slightly. "There…"

"But I don't…" Allen began before his gaze fell upon a figure who seemed to be walking toward them. "Guess there really was someone there after all," he said with a somewhat nervous laugh. He was still tense after the fight with the twins and was a little apprehensive about what kind of situation they had just placed themselves in.

"Noah…" Hitsugaya said in a low and feral tone, not really sounding as though he were speaking to anyone in particular. His gaze was focused on the approaching figure, the boy seemingly having a one track mind. And it was completely focused on the man across the room.

"How did you know?" the large man said, eyeing the group through cold eyes. He was in his white form, not yet having shifted to his true form, so he had no idea how the boy had guessed what he truly was. Confirming suspicions he shifted to his 'black' form, menacing eyes turning golden as his skin darkened and the stigmata appeared across his forehead.

"Doesn't matter," Hitsugaya said, his own eyes shifting to a tawny gold. This was familiar to the others at this point so they barely even reacted as they saw it. "All that matters is that you're going to die here."

"Big words for such a little runt," the Noah growled, his gaze focused intently on Hitsugaya. "But are you going to be able to back them up?"

"I…"

"No, he isn't," Lavi interrupted the boy's words, grasping the handle of his hammer and stepping forward. "But I am."

"What the hell?" Hitsugaya snarled, his tone feral and menacing as he turned to face his comrade. He was angered by the fact that the junior Bookman was interfering, not willing to run out on another fight. Even though he couldn't remember anything about the previous fight, running or otherwise.

Completely ignoring the outburst from the small white haired boy Lavi turned his attention toward Allen and Lenalee. "Take him and get out of here… I'll deal with this guy."

"Oh like hell you will," Hitsugaya growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Right," Allen said, grabbing one of Hitsugaya's arms while Lenalee grabbed the other. Both had to use a great deal of strength to subdue the smaller boy but they did manage. "Take care of this and then catch up to us."

"Right," Lavi said, nodding his head.

"You aren't going anywhere," Skinn snarled, his eyes focused on the trio who were attempting to make an escape. Stepping forward he made a move to stop them but was halted by a fierce blow from Lavi's hammer. "I'm your opponent so you should probably focus on me."

Hitsugaya fought against their hold as he was pulled from the room, muttering incoherent curse words the entire time. Despite this Allen and Lenalee managed to get him out of the room so that they could continue on their way toward the top of the tower.

"Why did you do that?" Hitsugaya demanded once they were out of the room and in yet another long corridor.

"Because you're acting strange," Allen retorted, leveling his gaze on the smaller white haired boy. "Lavi can handle that guy… we need to get to the top of the tower and see if that door is there."

Hitsugaya paused, blinking a couple of times. He wasn't used to mild mannered Allen speaking in such a way and it actually gave him pause. He recovered quickly however and once again began walking forward, as though pulled by invisible strings.

But pulled toward what? That was the question.

A/N - Sorry for the delay in updates, trying to work through some things at the moment. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter.


	31. Reunion in the Tower

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM nor Bleach

Chapter Thirty-One - Reunion in the Tower

"This is a mistake," Hitsugaya muttered as he, Allen and Lenalee continued on their way down the corridor. Due to this newest development their group had once again been diminished by one and the white haired youth couldn't help but think that this was more than likely part of the overall plan of their enemies. Decrease the threat by decreasing the numbers.

"You don't have to worry so much about Lavi," Allen said, following along behind the shorter white haired boy. Lenalee was walking by his side and she offered Hitsugaya a small smile. "I'm sure that Lavi will be able to hold his own against that guy."

"You can think that all you want," Hitsugaya said, a strange tone to his voice. It had taken on a slightly musical quality, as well as a strange lilt, and didn't really sound like the voice that they had grown accustomed to. And, as he gazed at them over his shoulder, the two teens noted that his eyes were once again golden. "But that doesn't make it true… and separating us like that is more than likely all part of the plan."

As he said this Hitsugaya pushed open a large set of double doors that were located at the end of the hallway. This was the only place left for them to go and he somehow instinctively knew that it was the right place. Stepping into the large room, which was flanked by picture windows, the youth's gaze swept around until it fell upon the two Noah that he and Allen had had the most dealings with. The pair that called themselves Tyki and Road.

"So they made it after all," Road said, a sadistic smile appearing on her face as Allen and Lenalee entered the room and moved to stand on either side of Hitsugaya. She laughed slightly as she noted that their group was smaller than it had been before, the sound completely devoid of actual amusement and instead sounding somewhat deranged. "Or at least part of them made it."

"Enough of this stupid game," Hitsugaya growled, his strange and musical voice still managing to sound threatening. His golden eyes were fierce as he glared at Road and they almost seemed to shine with a malevolent light.

Road's eyes widened in surprise as she heard these words and she blinked a couple of times as she stared at the white haired boy who had spoken them. Taking a couple of hesitant steps forward she said, "It can't be…" Of course Lord Millennium had told her about the circumstances surrounding this strange boy but then again she hadn't really believed that it was possible. Yet there he stood and the voice and expression couldn't be explained away as easily, not know that she was experiencing it first hand. "So you really have returned…"

For his part Tyki had been seated at a long table, content to watch as this scene unfolded, but now he got to his feet and gestured toward the food that had been laid out. "Come Exorcists… share one final meal with us before you die."

For once Allen was completely uninterested in food though he did indeed step toward the table. Activating his Innocence in a whirl of white he made his way toward the dark haired Noah man, determination shining bright in his gray eyes. For the sake of his friends and everyone else who had been drawn into this war he was going to end things once and for all.

Tyki smirked as he saw the expression on the boy's face, his plan having worked out fairly well. Distracted by his presence the white haired Exorcist boy had moved away from his friends, leaving them to the mercy of Road. She had already ensnared Hitsugaya with her powers and it was a simple move to trap Lenalee in a plastic enclosure of her own design. A slight chuckle escaped the lips of the Noah of Pleasure as he noted that Road had even been kind enough to give her air holes so that she didn't suffocate. This meant that she would be able to watch the destruction of the other two, powerless to do anything to help them. "You dropped your guard boy…"

Instantly knowing that something was wrong Allen turned around, his eyes widening slightly as he watched Road make her way slowly over to the spot where Hitsugaya was standing, apparently frozen in place. There was a glazed over expression in his golden eyes which Allen took to be a bad sign. "Hey Hitsugaya!" he yelled, his voice somewhat harsh as he called out to the boy. "Snap out of it!"

"He can't hear you," Road practically purred as she came to a halt in front of him. Reaching out she ran a hand through his unruly white hair, a strange expression appearing in her own eyes. "He's under my control now… and I'm going to completely break him."

"Allen!" Lenalee exclaimed, her eyes widening as Tyki spread out his arms and released a group of the cannibal golems known as tease. The white haired Exorcist whirled around just in time to use Crown Belt to destroy them, without so much as a second to spare. Sinking to her knees in her prison Lenalee heaved a sigh of relief, having been sure that the Noah's attack was going to catch her friend off guard.

"Let them go," Allen said, his gaze shifting back and forth between Road and Tyki. He was determined not to let the Noah of Pleasure get the drop on him again but at the same time he didn't want to just leave his friends to Road's non-existent mercy.

"I bet you wouldn't be saying that if you knew this guy's story," Road purred, an almost reminiscent expression on her face as she continued to stare at Hitsugaya. "Of course it's not really all that surprising that he didn't tell you… I'm sure it was all part of his plan to lure you to his side. He always was manipulative…"

"What are you talking about?" Allen demanded, an angry expression briefly replacing the look of determination that his features had previously held. "What hasn't he told us?"

"It's not important anymore," Road said, shrugging her shoulders. "He's trapped inside his mind and will most likely go insane… so you don't have to worry about it any longer." She glanced up at Allen for a brief moment before continuing. "And you really shouldn't turn your back on your own opponent like that Allen~ Not a smart move at all."

Taking this as a hint, whether she had meant it as such or not, Allen whirled around just in time to block the blow that Tyki had been aiming at his back. The Noah of Pleasure smirked as he locked gazes with the young Exorcist, having actually been hoping that the fight wouldn't come to such an abrupt and unsatisfying end. That would have been beyond anti-climactic and a bit of a let down as far as he was concerned.

"I'll make a deal with you boy," Tyki said, a taunting quality in his voice as he continued to gaze at Allen. "If you can beat me then I promise that Road will release both of your friends unharmed."

"Ty~ki~" Road whined, gazing at him with a petulant expression. "You can't go making promises like that without talking to me about them first. It isn't fair."

"Too late," Allen said, the look of determination that he had already worn only growing in intensity as he stared at Tyki. "He already promised so he can't take it back now. That means that all I have to do to free my friends is beat him."

"Don't get cocky boy," Tyki warned, smirk still in place. "You haven't been able to defeat me thus far so what makes you so sure that you can do it this time?"

"Because I have to," Allen replied without so much as a second of hesitation. This said the white haired teen leapt forward, using the cloak of his Innocence to swipe at the Noah. A couple of tease were still floating around, looking for an opening, and Allen made quick work of them before moving on to his main opponent.

"Be careful Allen," Lenalee said, clenching her hands together in worry as she watched the two of them dancing around one another, each looking for an opening through which to strike. Occasionally her gaze would shift to Hitsugaya and, during one such occasion she watched as he sank to his knees. The look in his eyes was one of absolute torture, making it obvious that whatever Road was showing him was beyond unpleasant.

For her part the Noah girl merely stood on and grinned, a strange mixture of joy and sadism etched on her face. It was painfully obvious that she was enjoying herself, even if no one else in the room was.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. This story is coming to an end, only about six chapters left to go. Please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time, farewell.


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